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Blackpool dog show terror - pictures
FOUR people were injured and hundreds forced to flee after storms brought terror to Blackpool's annual dog show.
Marquees were brought crashing to the ground as 65mph winds – the strongest recorded anywhere in the UK over the weekend – battered the Fylde coast.
Trees were ripped out of the ground, signs torn off shops and roads left blocked in the storms. Ambulance and fire crews were rushed to the dog show which attracted 3,000 people to the showground at Westby, near Wrea Green.
Weather chaos gallery
Organisers said it was lucky nobody was killed after the gales tore down three large marquees at lunchtime yesterday.
One person, who had been cooking in the large catering tent, suffered burns from hot oil. Others suffered injuries ranging from a dislocated shoulder, cuts and bruises and a suspected heart attack.
The event - billed as the biggest dog show on the west coast of England - was abandoned early.
Anne Mathie, 36, from Grange Park, who was at the event, said: "It was just awful. We saw the catering tent come down.
"It was such strong winds. It was just chaotic. We couldn't believe it, we had never seen anything like it."
Phill Fairhurst, who lives nearby on Westby Road, said: "It sounded like thunder, it was really loud when one of the marquees came down collapsed. Looking at the scene afterwards, it seems it was lucky there weren't more people hurt."
Steve Hall, secretary of Blackpool Dog Show, said: "There must have been around 3,000 people with 3,000 dogs there yesterday. It's 12 months work wrecked in five minutes - disappointing is an understatement.
"It's sad, people came from all over the country to show their dogs, but the main thing is nobody died. We were monitoring the situation all morning and then around lunchtime we decided to abandon the event. There could have been fatalities. I was very proud of my staff for evacuating the area so quickly."
Three out of nine marquees were blown down – the largest at 320 feet still blocking Westby Road this morning.
Julian Williams, station manager at Preston Fire Station, said: "We assessed the area and it was obvious that if we didn't clear the site further people would have been injured. We worked with security staff to make sure everybody was evacuated quickly and safely to the car park area so they could leave the site."
Rigging experts were called and the event had to finish earlier than planned – causing large queues on to the M55 and M6 as a surge of traffic all left at the same time.
Elsewhere, trees were blown down at School Lane, Blackpool, East Park Drive, Roman Way, in Kirkham, Clifton Lane, Clifton, Best Street, Kirkham, School Lane, Newton, Windy Harbour Road, Singleton, Folkestone Road, St Annes and Bold Street, Fleetwood.
In Kirkham, a man escaped with minor injuries after being hit by a falling tree on Manor Way.
The A583, near the Bell and Bottle pub, at Newton, had to be closed while police cleared a tree which had come down and was blocking the carriageway.
Metal was spotted coming off the former Cherry Tree Nursing Home, on Cherry Tree Road, Marton, while roof tiles came off properties in Topping Street. Bank Hey Street was closed off, in between Boots and Waterstones, as the sign at fashion giant Primark looked as if it might fall down.
Signage at Wilkinsons, on Dickson Road and at the Travelodge on Seasiders Way, Blackpool, was also thought to be in danger of being blown down.
An outdoor performance at Lytham Hall of the Merry Wives of Windsor was also cancelled.
A Blackpool Police spokesman said: "It has been chaos. Most of the trees were cleared up by the council, but we have been very busy with call after call"
Have you got any pictures of the weather-battered Fylde coast? E-mail them to martin.bostock @blackpoolgazette.co.uk
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Weather for Blackpool
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
