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Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Nicole Goodwin

Bensham residents fear for their home after neighbour's roof ripped off during Storm Malik

Neighbours have spoken of their shock after the entire roof of the property next door was ripped off during Storm Malik.

At around 9.30am yesterday Taylor Prudhoe and Seline Kennedy were woken by the sound of slates falling from their neighbour's roof.

But around 20 minutes later they heard a loud rumble as the roof fell into their front garden and sent slates flying into the street.

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Seline, 26, said: "There was tiles everywhere and people were running away from it."

Taylor, 21, added: "One of the neighbour's even left their door open. Everyone was just trying to get out of the way."

Seline and Taylor, who moved into the neighbouring downstairs flat a few weeks ago, said their neighbour stood in the street and watched as his home fell apart in front of him.

Seline added: "There were tiles coming off left, right, and centre. They were all over the road so I decided to move my car, which somehow hadn't actually been hit - even though there was tiles all around it.

"Soon after that the fire brigade came and told us we needed to evacuate. I asked if I could quickly grab my work uniform and my cat and when I was in the bedroom I heard the biggest crash ever."

She added: "It was scary seeing debris flying everywhere."

A the roof of a flat in Bensham, Gateshead which was torn off by extreme winds during storm Malik as it battered the North East of England (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)

The neighbour who lives next door in the upstairs flat returned home from work following the incident and watched from his car as he grew concerned about the structure of the building.

He said it looked increasingly likely that it the chimney was also going to fall from the building, as gaps were starting the show between the brickwork.

He said: "If the chimney goes it's going to go straight through the roof of my flat.

"It's a waiting game because those gaps between the bricks weren't there when the roof came down.

"If it goes I'm going to be left with no home."

The neighbour said he was first alerted to the incident while he was at work as a friend had contacted him after seeing a photo of the damage on Facebook.

He left work early but was unable to gain access to his property to change out of his work uniform and gather some belongings.

He added: "I was told someone would be back at 4pm to assess the building, but until I get an update I don't know what to do.

"I was supposed to have my kids this weekend too, but if I have no home I won't be able to."

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