Trains, planes and Birmingham's German market hit by strong winds

Heavy wind and rain has battered the Birmingham area, with planes diverted, trees falling over, trains cancelled, and the city's German market closing.

A cabin at the market was blown over, smashing into a woman.

London Midland trains in the north of the city were cancelled as trees fell in Sutton Coldfield and Perry Barr.

Two planes due to land at Birmingham Airport were diverted to Gatwick and East Midlands Airports after the pilots aborted landing attempts.

West Midlands Fire Service said it received reports of about 20 trees falling in the space of half an hour, and a wall collapsing in Small Heath.

A woman was hit by falling glass in Gas Street and a man in his thirties was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital suffering neck and back pain after being hit by a tree in Woodend Road in Walsall.

'Heart pounding'

Meanwhile, in Hall Green, a carer got out of his car just before a tree crashed down on it, crushing the bonnet and smashing the windscreen.

Muhammad Sial was on the way to visit a client when a tree crushed his car

Muhammad Sial had parked in Stonor Road, where he was visiting a client, when the tree came down on his Vauxhall Corsa just before 10:30 GMT.

Mr Sial said: "I'm not hurt but my car is smashed. I'm shocked. My heart is pounding."

London Midland said services were disrupted after a tree fell on the line at Sutton Coldfield.

It said trains to Walsall and Rugeley were also cancelled because of a tree falling on overhead lines at Perry Barr.

Two women required medical treatment at the German Christmas market where a stall "reportedly overturned", the ambulance service said.

One, aged in her 50s, suffered a hip injury.

The German market in Birmingham after a stall overturned

Birmingham City Council said it closed the German market due to safety reasons.

A spokeswoman said they originally decided to close some craft stalls between Centenary Bridge and Centenary Square at 14:00 GMT, but she said they later decided to close the entire German market.

The market reopened at 16:00.

A Birmingham Airport spokesman confirmed an Emirates flight from Dubai was diverted to Gatwick and a Flybe flight from Jersey was diverted to East Midlands Airport because of the wind.

He said a number of other planes had more than one landing attempt. No flights were cancelled.