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People moved to hotel after storm damages flats

Parts of the roof of a Somerset block of flats blown off in Storm Darragh

A woman whose flat was damaged by Storm Darragh says watching the roof fall off was "frightening for her children".

Panels from the block on Westfield Close, Bridgwater flew off in strong winds.

Lisa Grant, 37, and her two children are now in temporary accommodation after water started leaking through her ceiling.

The 14 maisonettes in the block are maintained by Homes in Sedgemoor, a spokesperson said they are now working to carry out a "proper and full assessment" of the damage.

Kirsty Warren Dubs A picture of the block of flats at Westfield Close with parts of the roof missing. The picture was taken during Storm Darragh and shows a cloudy, rainy day.Kirsty Warren Dubs
The block of 14 maisonettes suffered damage during Storm Darragh

Ms Grant said: "My daughter woke me up screaming, saying the roof was falling off the building.

"As the day went on, we noticed water dripping through the light fittings and the smoke alarm."

Firefighters and police attended the incident on Saturday and a cordon remained in place for a number of hours.

People from two of the flats have been moved to local hotels, while residents from another maisonette are staying with relatives. Scaffolding will now be erected around the property before making it water tight.

Lisa Grant says she will wait to return to the flat: "My concern now is the ceiling will fall on me. That's my fear."

Director of Communities and Customer Services at Home in Sedgemoor, Claire Tough said: "We will remove any debris from the roof to make an assessment of the repairs that need to be done."

Ms Tough added: "It's about making sure the property is wind and water tight before progressing with the repair work."

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