Storm Ali: High winds halt trains and shut roads in North East

Northumbria Police has urged travellers to avoid travel unless "absolutely essential"

High winds have caused major problems in the north-east of England with trains being halted and falling trees blocking roads.

An amber weather warning from the Met Office is in place for parts of Durham and Northumberland.

Overhead line damage halted all trains between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

More than 27,000 households in the North East were hit by power cuts. Northern Powergrid said 14,000 are still waiting to be reconnected.

Northumbria Police has advised motorists to only travel if essential as falling trees are blocking major and minor roads.

"There was widespread disruption to road network due to high winds, with trees, branches and other debris blocking carriageways," a spokesman added.

A fallen tree at Benton Road in Newcastle is causing disruption to traffic

Meanwhile, London North Eastern Railway - which runs trains through the region on the East Coast Main Line - said customers should not travel at all unless absolutely necessary.

BBC reporter Luke Walton, who was stuck on a train south of Durham station, tweeted that a freight train with "overhead lines wrapped around it" was blocking the line.

Tyne and Wear Metro said its service had been badly affected, with an obstruction on the overhead lines halting services between between Wallsend and North Shields and also between Pelaw and Hebburn.

Services had resumed but with major delays, it said.

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The Shields Ferry was also suspended due to high winds.

The A690 was closed at Langley Moor to all vehicles after power cable from train lines fell on to the road.

Winds of up to 50mph are causing trees to fall blocking off mayor and minor routes