This dramatic picture captures the exact moment the World Trade Centre disappeared forever. Lee Frost, of Osbaldwick, took the shot of the North Tower being reduced to rubble as he stood watching events unfold on the streets of New York.

The picture, never seen before, reveals the shocking impact the destruction of the twin towers still has 12 months later.

Only hours earlier, Lee had taken one of the last pictures of the famous Manhattan skyline from the summit of the South Tower as, along with mum Susan, dad Charles and sister Lorna, he visited the observation centre.

Their tickets, stamped at 6.09pm on September 10, 2001, are all that now remains of one of the world's most famous landmarks.

Lee was enjoying a family holiday in New York before being unwittingly caught up in the September 11 disaster.

His photographs form a chronicle of the chaos that hit America after the terrorists struck their targets in New York and Washington.

Mum Susan said she, and her family, were stunned when they learned that the World Trade Centre buildings had been hit.

"We couldn't go on to the roof of the World Trade Centre because of the fear of thunder and lightning," she said. "We even went into the centre mall to buy some new clothes. There were not that many people up there.

"When we heard about the plane crash we went into Fifth Avenue. People were crowded around looking. We saw the second tower come down.

"It was a scary experience. We went later to Times Square but it was deserted. You could even see the smoke in Central Park. It lasted for days."

The Frost's were due to fly home the morning the twin towers were hit. But they were trapped in the pandemonium for a further eight days.

Susan added: "It was difficult to find out what was going on. It was just unreal. No-one knew what was happening. Aeroplanes have a strange effect now. You hear them flying and you look for them. I would love to go back to New York and see what has happened since that terrible day."