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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Family 'terrified' after London Eye capsule lid 'blew open' in Storm Henk

A man has spoken of his family's fear after the London Eye pod they were travelling in "blew open" as Storm Henk brought fierce winds to the capital on Tuesday.

David Nock, from Bournemouth, told BBC Radio Solent how he and his family were on a day out and had been "right at the top" of the lofty landmark when the "terrifying" incident happened.

The London Eye, which stands at 443 feet (135 metres) and offers views across the city, was closed following the "technical issue".

Mr Nock told BBC Radio Solent: "We were right at the top and there were very high winds and the service hatch on the pod got blown off.

"There were metal wires that hold it on and it was hanging on by those.

"We were stuck at the top for a good five minutes. The whole thing was stopping and starting and moving side to side.

"The noise was quite deafening. The kids all found it terrifying."

A spokesperson for the lastminute.com London Eye confirmed there were no injuries, but that it decided to close the landmark amid the high winds and heavy rain.

"Due to disruption from adverse weather conditions yesterday, we took the decision to close the lastminute.com London Eye for a brief period," said the spokesperson.

"The safety of our guests and staff is our number one priority, and we have multiple safety procedures in place on the pods.

"Following an isolated technical issue, our expert technical team immediately ensured that guests safely disembarked and conducted further rigorous checks before reopening the attraction that evening.

"We can confirm that no parts of the pod detached from the main structure and that no guests were injured. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to the guests during their visit."

The incident came as Storm Henk battered the UK on Tuesday, causing travel chaos in London.

Scaffolding was torn from buildings in Sutton and Greenwich, while a woman in Orpington was taken to hospital after being hit by a falling tree, and photos showed cars hit by trees in south-east London.

In Gloucestershire, a driver in his 50s was killed on Tuesday when a tree fell on the car he was driving, during strong winds.

In Birmingham, a driver and a young child had to be saved from their car when it got stuck in flooding following heavy rain.

The driver, who has not been named, managed to secure the vehicle against a bridge to prevent it from being washed away.

A "local hero" then decided to enter the water to help them escape. Police have since praised the rescuer's bravery.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to The Ford in Kenilworth to rescue a motorist who got stuck trying to drive through flood water.

The Met Office on Wednesday issued a fresh yellow weather warning, as heavy rain was set to hit London and the south of England on Thursday and Friday.

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