GALE force winds battered Sidmouth last weekend as the worst storm of the year hit the area. Police and fire crews were stretched to the limit after trees crashed onto roads and power cables broke. Dozens of reports were received by emergency services of

GALE force winds battered Sidmouth last weekend as the worst storm of the year hit the area.

Police and fire crews were stretched to the limit after trees crashed onto roads and power cables broke.

Dozens of reports were received by emergency services of falling trees in the area, including Sid Park Road, Salcombe Hill Road, Brownlands Road, Bulverton Road and Trow Hill in Sidmouth, as well as Four Elms Hill near Newton Poppleford.

Boughmore Lane resident, John Rees, captured this picture of three dead elm trees blown over, which completely blocked the lane to traffic and narrowly missed a glass conservatory.

Dr Rees and his neighbour Andrew Vickers took an hour and a half clearing away the trees to allow cars through on Saturday morning.

In Sidford, a power cable was brought to the ground by a tree and a metal telegraph pole was twisted over Cotmaton Road in Sidmouth, which took hours to repair. Western Power was called to deal with the damage.

The strong gales also ripped a satellite dish off a house in Holmdale, Sidmouth, metal fencing was blown into the road in Salcombe Regis and fence panels partially blocked Elm Way in Sidford.

Sergeant Andy Turner, of Sidmouth Police, said: "Emergency services are always pushed to the limit during extreme weather often as things such as fallen trees cause danger to road users. This is evident in the last band of rough weather and it seemed all police resources in East Devon were tied up in weather related matters as well as the highways agency and other utility companies.

"I would like to thank people who acted responsibly by reporting dangerous to the police and when road closures were in place."

Sergeant Turner asked residents to secure their properties and remove items which could pose a danger in bad weather.

An East Devon District Council spokesperson said although it received reports of debris in the Sidmouth area, the town and surrounding villages escaped serious damage and flooding.