Leicestershire hit by strong winds, rain and hailstorms

Strong winds and hailstorms in Leicestershire have damaged buildings and knocked down trees.

The storm damaged factory units on the Merry Leas industrial estate in Desford where skips were reportedly blown into the air.

Residents in Burbage reported golf ball-sized hailstones damaging greenhouses and vehicles.

Deep water closed part of the Fosse Road North in Leicester and led to problems on the A50.

Flood alerts were issued for low-lying areas around Rothley and Loughborough.

John Bourne, from Burbage, said: "These are the biggest hailstones I've seen in this country.

"It was quite scary at one stage as we didn't know how much damage it may cause. As it is, almost every car has been dented on the roof in the street."

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue dealt with 190 incidents in four hours

Maureen Hemsley, also from Burbage, said: "It's something I've never seen before since living in Burbage.

"The greenhouse is smashed, the garden is a wreck. Windows are intact on the house and thankfully the car was under cover so it's not been damaged."

Several schools were affected by the rain with Burleigh Community College in Loughborough, John Cleveland College in Hinckley and King Edward VII Community College in Coalville having to close.

At the height of the storms, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue dealt with 190 incidents.

A spokesman said they had received five times more calls than normal, with the addition of fire alarms being set off by water and electrical interference from thunder and lightning.

He said Leicester, Loughborough, Coalville and Hinckley were worst affected.