DOZENS of passengers spent an hour trapped on their train after a tree blown onto the railway lines near York smashed the windscreen.

Heavy winds have battered York and North Yorkshire today, causing trees to fall, and blowing roof tiles into the street.

Shawn Imeson, 32, was returning to Malton from York at about 1.45pm today, when the First Transpennine Express train was damaged by the fallen tree near Haxby.

He said: "There was a loud thud and a slight jolt and we sort of ground to a halt quitequickly. We hadn't gone too far at all. You could tell the driver was trying to stop quite quickly but it wasn't an emergency stop. 

"The driver walked through telling us the windscreen had smashed and he was waiting for the signaller to let him know what to do. Eventually they let us go on a little bit further to Strensall so they could move the train onto the other track, then we headed back to York, that was about an hour later, so it was about 2.40pm we got back to York.

Police also assisted with the closure of The Avenue in Clifton where a tree has fallen across the road. No damage has been caused by the tree, and Highways are on their way to deal with its removal, but the road will be closed for some time.

 

Elsewhere, a tree has also fallen in Heslington Lane.

 

There have also been reports of roof tiles falling into Coney Street close to Waterstones, and local traders working with North Yorkshire Police have created a makeshift cordon to prevent pedestrians being struck by falling debris.

 

​Meanwhile, in Harrogate, police were assisted in removing a tree from the road in St James Drive by helpful locals with a chainsaw.

 

Outside New Earswick, a tree has blocked Haxby Road.

 

 

  • If you have any pictures of damage caused by the high winds today, please email them to newsdesk@thepress.co.uk or tweet to @yorkpress