UK Storm: 70,000 properties in east without power

The cladding on The Mill at Ipswich waterfront came away, while a wall collapsed nearby on College Street

About 70,000 properties are still without electricity as a result of the storm-force winds that have swept across the eastern region.

UK Power Networks said the high winds caused "extensive" damage and its engineers were working throughout the day to restore power.

Company staff and British Red Cross volunteers were on hand to help people in the worst-affected areas.

At the height of the storm 300,000 households in the region had no power.

Train services suspended

Rail commuters heading for London also faced severe disruption because of the storm with trees bringing down power cables and blocking the lines.

London Midland said three trees had fallen on to lines at Bushey, How Hill and Park Street - disrupting services south of Watford.

Trees fell down across the region - including this one in Oxford Road, Colchester

Greater Anglia suspended all services but trains are now running on some of its routes.

The Stansted Express has also been suspended.

A reduced service is operating between Peterborough and London King's Cross but trains may be delayed by up to an hour.

Trains on other parts of the East Coast network may also be significantly delayed.

Revised service

The train operator is advising passengers not to travel, as any tickets purchased for travel on Monday will be valid for Tuesday.

Services on East Midlands Trains between Norwich and Nottingham were also affected by cancellations but the company said it was now running a full timetable of services on the route.

London Midland trains said it was running a revised service between Northampton and London.

Luton Airport in Bedfordshire and Stansted Airport in Essex advised passengers to check with their airlines before travelling.

Donal Drohan, 51, from Harrow was killed when a tree fell on his car in Watford.

In Essex, the helter-skelter at Clacton Pier has blown down, and in Suffolk a double-decker bus with two passengers on board has been blown over, injuring the driver and one passenger.

The Highways Agency is advising motorists to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel.