Tuesday gale smashes Marina shop front

A violent gust blew in an six foot by eight foot plate glass window at Kenneth Findley's office on the windy Devonshire Road- Marina junction.

It turned the office into a wind-tunnel.

Glass showered into the office. The wind sent vertically-hung displays of property pictures at crazy angles and brought down ceiling tiles.

Mr Findley had to lock the street door to avoid worsening the situation by creating a vacuum effect.

As he struggled to dismantle violently flapping displays, Mr Findley siad that in all the years he had operated from the office he had never known conditions as bad.

The high winds turned the seaward ends of normally-busy Devonshire Road and Sackville Road into virtual no-go areas.

Shoppers found it virtually impossible to walk into a wind which brought with it rain which stung the face like needles.

Walking down-wind without breaking into an involantary run proved equally difficult.

Police later cordoned off Devonshire Road from Parkhurst Road downwards because of the risk of flying debris from buildings.