Ex-ambassador Richard Wilkinson trapped as tree smashes roof

Mr Wilkinson's daughter said she was woken in the early hours by a noise like "a bomb going off"

The former ambassador to Venezuela and Chile has been rescued by firefighters in Winchester after a falling tree crashed through the roof of his house.

Firefighters helped Richard Wilkinson, 65, escape through his bedroom window after the beech tree fell on the house in Westley Close at about 04:00 GMT.

The chair of governors at Winchester University was taken to Salisbury Hospital with a badly cut ear.

His daughter Eleanor said she was woken by a noise like "a bomb going off".

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said Mr Wilkinson was lucky to be alive after the 60ft (18m) tree snapped in half and crashed into his detached bungalow.

Road disruption

Meanwhile, there were delays on the northbound M3 after a 10-vehicle crash during the morning rush hour, which partially blocked both lanes between Winchester services and the A303.

Two people were taken to hospitals in Basingstoke and Southampton for treatment for spinal injuries.

A walnut tree came down near houses in West Tytherley

Police dealt with more than 200 weather-related calls across Hampshire as the south coast was battered by storms and gusts of wind up to 80mph (130km/h) overnight.

The force would normally receive about 18 calls over a 24-hour period, a spokesman said.

Several roads were closed because of flooding or fallen trees but the emergency services said there had been no major incidents. Teams with chainsaws spent the day clearing debris from roads.

Flood alerts remain in place across Hampshire and Dorset, with strong winds expected along the coast on Wednesday and Thursday.