THE clean-up operation has started in the windswept streets hit by a suspected tornado, with at least one person made temporarily homeless.

Residents have spoken of their relief no one was hurt after the whirlwind whipped through Thundersley, tearing off roof tiles, smashing car windows and uprooting trees.

As the dust settles in the affected roads, householders have been taking stock of the freak event which damaged about 60 homes, between Woodside Avenue and Overton Road.

Maureen Booth, 65, has been told it is too dangerous to return to her home in Woodside View, in case the roof collapses.

She said: “The house is unsafe because of the way the bricks are. They could go into the house “Before it happened the sky went black, and there was a strange low rumbling, thundery noise. The windows went a bit funny and the house shook.”

The house has been cordoned off since the suspected tornado, on Saturday morning, and Mrs Booth is now staying with family.

Husband and wife, Tony and Deborah Hoskins, have cancelled Christmas after high winds destroyed a games room at the end of their garden, in Overton Road.

The couple, who were planning a festive family party for 20 people, were woken by debris blowing in through an open window and landing on their bed.

The 15ft-wide wooden building was lifted a foot off the ground, and turned 45 degrees, knocking down four trees. A bar inside was ripped out, and a window was smashed.

Tony, 54, said: “We leapt out of the way, because it felt like the windows were going to come in. The big tree was going round and round like a matchstick.

“If that had happened in the afternoon, during the school run, it could have been awful.

“Christmas has got to be cancelled. There’s no way I can repair it in time, or afford it.”

The couple had to pay £600 to get the trees removed, just in case they fell down, injuring neighbours, or damaging their properties.

But their insurance company Payment Shield said they will not pay out for the damage to the games room, because it is not covered as an outbuilding under their policy.

Another couple, Rosemary and Bill Sparrow, have been told they have to wait until Saturday for the loss adjuster to assess the damage to their home, in The Lawns.

A neighbour’s trampoline landed on the couple’s greenhouse and had to be dismantled to be removed.

They now have plastic sheeting on their roof, the back of which was almost totally blown off.

One man in the right place, at the right time, was Rupert Cutting, owner of Benfleet Roofing.

He said: “Understandably, people phoned up in a right panic on Saturday morning, and I think I did about four or five roofs that day. I’ll probably get a bit more business out of it. I’m just glad to be able to help.”