'I went out into the street to get the debris from the tornado - then saw my neighbour had half his house torn off'

A community was left in shock after a 'mini tornado' ripped through the town. The roofs of two houses were blown off as an extreme weather event hit Stalybridge in Tameside.

Trees were uprooted and cars damaged, while the winds blew tiles and chimneys off roofs as Storm Gerrit struck in Greater Manchester. No-injuries have been reported but a 'major incident' was declared by the emergency services. Tameside Council said about 100 properties were damaged in all.

The 'tornado' struck just before midnight yesterday (December 27). It hit several different locations within the town, with Hough Hill Road being the worst affected.

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The roofs of two adjoining homes were blown off by the wind. Residents who live nearby described the shocking moment the 'tornado' took hold. One described the sound as 'like a bomb going off'.

"I heard extreme noise at my back window," Matthew Marsland, who lives opposite the damaged homes, told the M.E.N. "I was stood at my patio door and there was just basically a crazy sounding noise and then vibrations through the glass.

"I looked out of the window and saw a bit of debris so I thought I'd go out and pick a few bits up...then I saw a piece of tree next to my neighbour's car, then I looked further along the street and saw a gutter in the middle of the street so I thought I'd go and pick that up, and then I saw my neighbour had had half his house torn off."

He said the whole incident lasted '25 to 30 seconds'. "Two or three minutes later the