Twister wreckage (From Dorset Echo)

Twister wreckage

1:32pm Wednesday 27th June 2007 in

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A TORNADO left behind a trail of destruction when it ripped through a garden in Bridport.

David Wallace and his wife Liisa woke to find a 120-year-old tree in their garden had crashed through a fence on to a neighbour's garage.

During horrendous weather conditions the previous evening a neighbour claimed to have a seen a tornado narrowly miss their house in Rax Lane.

David, a scuba diving instructor, said the twister had caused more than £1,000-worth of damage.

He said: "I was sitting at home at around 8pm when I felt a huge gust of wind come down the chimney.

"It was strange, but I didn't think much of it and went to bed.

"The next day I got up to go to work and found the tree had fallen into next door's garden.

"It was blocking my car in so I had to get the chainsaw and start cutting it up.

"My neighbour said he had seen a tornado come up the drive, between the two houses and across the garden.

"It must have hit the tree and sent it into the fence."

David said the tree was more than 100ft tall and had destroyed four or five fence posts as it fell.

"We were very lucky really that it has come down into a clear area," he said.

"Fortunately I never really liked the tree, but there is damage to another one and I'm still assessing the rest.

"I doubt my insurance will cover the costs so I estimate it will cost me more than £1,000 to repair everything. The roof of the garage next door will also need repairs.

"They keep saying global warming is happening, but I wouldn't have expected a tornado in Bridport."