GALLERY A mini-tornado hit a Suffolk village last night - uprooting trees, sending fences and bins flying and tearing chunks of tiles from roofs.

James Mortlock

A MINI-tornado hit a Suffolk village last night - uprooting trees, sending fences and bins flying and tearing chunks of tiles from roofs.

Residents in Eriswell Drive, Lakenheath, many of them service personnel from RAF Lakenheath, were today surveying the damage and clearing up their wrecked homes and gardens.

Locals likened the last night's whirlwind to scenes from the Wizard of Oz - reporting a sudden drop in temperature and frighteningly strong winds. One said walking through the devastated streets this morning was “unreal - like being on a film set”.

Resident Tom Wood, who took these pictures of the storm and its aftermath, said debris was flying about the houses.

“I saw trash cans go down the road and then I happened to go to the back and all of a sudden a swirling motion began up above our house and fences and everything started lifting up out of the ground.

“I saw debris flying, whole fence pieces flying up above the houses. I was concerned about the safety of my daughter. I told her to get away from the windows and go in the hallway to be more protected.

“Being from Florida and Mississippi I've seen these before, it's mainly just staying away from the windows and staying in a place where nothing can hurt you. The building behind us took a lot of the damage. Their main concern was their bedroom because it was raining in their house.”