THE borough took a battering on Christmas Eve as gale force winds swept across the country leaving a path of destruction.

Firemen in Bury, Whitefield and Ramsbottom worked at full stretch throughout the evening and into the early hours of Christmas Day dealing with dozens of calls.

At the Wellington pub in Bolton Road, Bury, a giant tree crashed on to the car park, crushing three vehicles and damaging several others.

Luckily no-one was injured and shocked revellers returned to carry on their Christmas Eve celebrations after realising there was nothing that could be done.

Car owners Miss Anna Szabo, of New Street, Radcliffe, Miss Helen Beresford, of Lever Street, Radcliffe, and Mrs Gail Sanderson of Holcombe Road, Greenmount were among those counting the cost of the storms.

Elsewhere in the borough, two gable ends of homes in Hanson Street, Bury, and Oak Lane, Prestwich, partially collapsed as winds pulled at roof tops. In Gort Close, Unsworth, part of a dormer roof was blown off while a chimney pot on the top of a house in Turf Street, Radcliffe, became unstable and crashed to the ground. Elsewhere, hundreds of homes lost roof tiles while tree branches caused havoc on Lowercroft Road. Fully-grown trees were uprooted at Highbank Nursing Home in Walshaw Road, Hollins Lane, Unsworth and at Heaton Park in Prestwich.

The fire brigade remained busy on Christmas morning, cleaning up debris from the previous night's gales which claimed lives in other parts of the country. No injuries were reported in the borough.

The storm's legacy brought chaos in the later afternoon and early evening with residents in Walmersley left to celebrate the remains of the day in complete darkness as the power went down.

Homes in Ramsbottom, Hawkshaw and Summerseat were also affected by cuts although most areas had regained power by the late evening.

Greater Manchester County Fire Service dealt with almost 500 calls on Christmas Eve, way above the normal total for the time of year.

A fire brigade spokesman said: "A majority of the calls were in relation to unstable structures, including scaffolding, chimney pots and roofs while trees and branches caused their own problems, blocking off several highways. We have never known a Christmas so busy."

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