Twister tears into London homes

Seventy households in north-west London returned home to a scene of utter devastation yesterday after a mini-tornado swept through a residential street, causing millions of pounds worth of damage.

Victims of the disaster spent the night in temporary accommodation in a local church and many face the crushing prospect of losing their homes entirely.

The tornado struck Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise at 11:00 GMT and although it only lasted about 30 seconds travelling 300 m, it managed to rip off roofs, destroy some houses' whole side walls and hurl debris across the street.

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said: "We sent four ambulances, two fast response cars and two officers to the scene. We also activated the helicopter emergency medical service which carries a senior trauma-trained doctor and a paramedic."

Remarkably, no-one was seriously injured in the incident although one was taken to hospital with a head wound and five were treated for minor scrapes and shock, according to the LAS.

The London Fire Brigade said that the tornado was "a freak weather condition" and that it had now "scaled down" its operations.