THE fire service said it has had an "extremely busy" afternoon after strong winds and heavy rain battered the region.

Firefighters across Greater Manchester received 126 calls, between noon and 3pm yesterday, responding to incidents including falling trees and damage to buildings.

The emergency services were called to a number of incidents in Leigh and Atherton, including to Belmont Avenue in Atherton to reports that a 8m x 6m section of a detached garage had been lifted by strong winds.

The section was leaning against a tree, and the area was cordoned off while it was removed.

Tiles from a roof in Henrietta Street, Leigh, had been removed due to the strong winds, and crews used a ladder to make the building safe.

Firefighters also attended Powys Street, Atherton, where firefighters removed a chimney which had been damaged by the wind, in case it fell off and damaged property below.

Police cordoned off part of Kenyon Lane in Lowton, as a telegraph pole has fallen over and blocked the road.
The road was closed at its junction with Newton Road for a time, while engineers made the area safe.

Cllr David Acton, chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “The stormy weather has stretched the fire service to the limit and we have been dealing with the various incidents as quickly as we can. Our firefighters and support staff have done an excellent job in extremely difficult conditions.

“The storms have highlighted how we need to maintain our resilience and any further decrease in the numbers of firefighters would have a serious impact on the safety of the people of Greater Manchester.

“I would like to reassure the public that despite the severe pressure on our services currently, we will respond to calls as quickly as we can. If you do not require assistance immediately, please be patient as we prioritise emergency calls.”