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| Alfreton tornado: Homeowner to have parts of house rebuilt | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man who returned home from work to find his house had been ravaged by a tornado will have to pull down the entire side wall to make it safe again. | |
| The home on Catherine Street, Alfreton, was one of three properties severely damaged when the tornado ripped through the Derbyshire town on Wednesday. | The home on Catherine Street, Alfreton, was one of three properties severely damaged when the tornado ripped through the Derbyshire town on Wednesday. |
| William Sitch arrived back home at 16:45 BST to witness the devastation. | William Sitch arrived back home at 16:45 BST to witness the devastation. |
| His partner's son said: "He's gutted and in shock. It's not something that you think would happen in Alfreton." | His partner's son said: "He's gutted and in shock. It's not something that you think would happen in Alfreton." |
| 'Like a movie' | 'Like a movie' |
| Oli Constable, 19, said: "I saw stuff about the tornado on social media and showed my mum. | Oli Constable, 19, said: "I saw stuff about the tornado on social media and showed my mum. |
| "She thought I was joking and then later she got a call from William and we found out that it had happened." | "She thought I was joking and then later she got a call from William and we found out that it had happened." |
| Mr Constable added: "Structural engineers said it was unstable last night. | |
| "William has been down today and he's not really digested all of the information yet but is relieved that inside it's not too bad and everything is salvageable. | |
| "There's a lot of water up there and now the main priority is to make it water tight." | |
| The work to replace the wall and roof will be covered by Mr Sitch's house insurance. | |
| The fire service said 30 other properties and vehicles also suffered damage from flying bricks and debris. | The fire service said 30 other properties and vehicles also suffered damage from flying bricks and debris. |
| The Met Office confirmed a tornado, caused by volatile and unstable air, had hit the town at about 15:30 BST. | The Met Office confirmed a tornado, caused by volatile and unstable air, had hit the town at about 15:30 BST. |
| Witnesses said they saw a tornado ripping down lampposts and trees in Mansfield Road and Catherine Street. | Witnesses said they saw a tornado ripping down lampposts and trees in Mansfield Road and Catherine Street. |
| Dean Gazzard, station manager at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue, thanked the Salvation Army for its help in responding to the tornado. | Dean Gazzard, station manager at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue, thanked the Salvation Army for its help in responding to the tornado. |
| He said: "We have had strange weather before and high winds where individual properties have been damaged, but never a tornado, and never a whole street that has been affected like that." | He said: "We have had strange weather before and high winds where individual properties have been damaged, but never a tornado, and never a whole street that has been affected like that." |
| Jerome Alford, who lives in Mansfield Road, said houses on the opposite side of the street were left untouched. | Jerome Alford, who lives in Mansfield Road, said houses on the opposite side of the street were left untouched. |
| "The wind started picking up and pulling bits of the roof away," he said. | "The wind started picking up and pulling bits of the roof away," he said. |
| "It was like watching a movie." | "It was like watching a movie." |