Bonne Nuit Harbour: Storm causes thousands of pounds of damage

Neil Cotillard said the storm caused a lot of damage at Bonne Nuit Harbour

A storm that lashed Jersey has caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage to a harbour, boat owners say.

Gusts of up to 60mph (96km/h) were reported by the Jersey Met Office on Monday.

Neil Cotillard, from the Bonne Nuit Boat Owners' Association, said the storm had caused "utter carnage", with five fishermen's huts ripped off their foundations.

The winds also forced the cancellation of a number of flights.

'Impressive waves'

Mr Cotillard said it was not very often that people worried about the pier.

"We have seen the biggest storm come through in our worst direction for probably 25 years," he added.

"During the winter, we strap the cabin cruisers to the bay - the waves have been coming over the pier and the weight of the water has snapped them off their blocks.

"Very rarely do we see this. The waves coming over were impressive."

Neil Cotillard said the boats were snapped off their blocks

Mr Cotillard described this winter as the "worst" he remembers, adding it had not stopped raining since November.

He said the pier would be closed on Tuesday so the boats could be picked up by a crane and secured.

He said the huts had been there for "generations".

"You will see a big change down Bonne Nuit this summer, there will be a few big holes on the pier," he said.

"It will be fixed and looking good again."

Trees were brought down on Route Des Issues

Earlier, fights were cancelled and fallen trees closed roads due to severe gale force nine winds in Jersey.

Throughout the day there was built-up traffic caused by closed roads and diverted bus services.

The Government of Jersey asked islanders to "continue to take care" and leave more time for travelling due to debris on roads.

It said strong gale force winds from a north and north-easterly direction were "more unusual" for Jersey.