UPDATED 12PM: Latest on the Blackpool storm (Slideshow)

LATEST UPDATES:

12.00PM: Blackpool’s Tourism Information centre in Festival House has lost some windows. Wedding rooms upstairs though unaffected, planned services going ahead.

11.30AM: Panels on Jungle Jim’s in Blackpool Tower also damaged.

11.00AM: Lytham Hall grounds and tea room are closed to all today due to several trees damaged by storm.

10.30AM: SCHOOLS UPDATE - Trees are down and roof panels sprayed across the grounds at Charles Saer, on Grange Road. The school says a decision may be made later today as to whether it will reopen tomorrow.

10.15AM: A number of chimneys have been blown off on Central Drive and Banks Street, and the car park wall at the Imperial Hotel is down on Dickson Road. A top floor balcony blew off on Haddon Court flats on Haddon Road, North Shore.

10.00AM: Damage to shops and homes - roof blown from the flats above Larkholme shops in Fleetwood and the sign has been ripped from the front of the Trinity Hospice shop on Clifton Street, Blackpool.

9.00AM: Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service received 300 calls during yesterday’s gale force winds which battered the region.

8.30AM: Yeadon Way, which was blocked by a petrol station’s roof being torn off while East Park Drive is still closed to north bound traffic.

8.00AM: South Shore Academy, on St Annes Road and Charles Saer Primary School in Fleetwood have both fallen victim to the severe conditions.

7.30AM: Carleton Crossing, on Blackpool Road, is closed because of damaged gates, and commuters travelling out of Blackpool North are disrupted.

POLICE

Police were called out to 110 incidents overnight in Western Division, which covers the Fylde coast, of which 83 were related to disruption on the roads.

Among the incidents attended were an evacuation of Pemroke Court flats, in North Shore, a petrol station roof coming off in Yeadon Way, and several large windows being lost from Jungle Jims, at Blackpool Tower.

Tiles also came off the roof of South Shore police station causing damage to a police vehicle.

LANCASHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE

Watch manager Patrick Thompson, of Blackpool Fire Station, said the night crew had been called out non-stop from 5pm yesterday until 7am today with calls continuing throughout Thursday.

He said: “The calls have been mostly to structural damage - we have had gable ends come down, loose signage, structures over-hanging, and we have attended where there is a danger to the public.

“The aerial ladder platform has been utilised and is out again this morning.

“We are getting more calls today as people survey the damage in the light of day.

“If people are out today they need to keep their eyes peeled for any loose pieces of structure.

“Move any bits of loose garden furniture and bins.

“Drivers should look out for debris on the road, make extra time for journeys and slow down.”

DISTRUPTION TO TRANSPORT SERVICES:

MOTORWAYS

The southbound link between the M6 at junction 32 and the M55 westbound is closed due to barrier repairs.

The southbound carriageway between junctions 33 and 32 on the M6 had been closed after a lorry overturned at 7.30pm.

However, the lorry was removed and the carriageway reopened at 3.10am.

RAIL

There are currently delays of up to 20 minutes on trains between Blackpool North and Preston after the Carleton crossing was damaged by high winds overnight.

Network Rail has apologised for any inconvenience caused and says it is working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

Services between Blackpool South and Preston are currently reported as running on time.

BUSES

Line 1: Diverted via Redbank Road, Beaufort Avenue, Norcliffe Road and Norbreck Road. This is due to the promenade closure at Sandhurst Avenue.

Line 2, 2c & 11: Are unable to stop at Deansgate and so have been diverted via Cookson Street.

Line 3 & 4: Are not affected.

Lines 5, 7, 14, 17: Diverted north via Bethesda Square, Chapel Street and onto the Promenade. This is because the temporary lights are out and we have deemed it to be unsafe. We have called the engineers who will are on route to sort them.

Lines 10 & 11: Diverted via Rigby Road, Central Drive and Bloomfield Road. This is due to Lytham Road being closed between Bloomfield Road and Rigby road.

Line 16: Diverted via East Park Drive, West Park Drive, North Park Drive and normal route to Maternity. Service 16 is only diverted going to the hospital as East Park Drive is closed northbound by the De-Vere hotel.

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