A STORM chaser captured rare footage of the tornado which swept over south Essex on Saturday – from his front garden in Pitsea.

Former electronics research engineer John Randall, 51, has spent most of his adult life monitoring storms as a hobby.

He has pressure gauges and weather radar scanners set up on the roof of his home, in Crown Avenue, and he loves spending hours watching the weather on a selection of screens.

He sensed the area was in for unusual weather at the weekend, just before a whirlwind battered 60 homes in Thundersley.

He said: “All the forecasts said the wind would pick up, and out of the window I saw the dark clouds being driven by the wind.

“Then I spotted the clouds whirling around in the middle as well, so I grabbed my camera. My wife, son and I all rushed into the garden to watch it.

“And, while I was filming, I saw the sausage shape developing underneath the clouds and start reaching towards the ground.”

South African Mr Randall, who moved to Britain 11 years ago, says what he saw was a tornado, as it touched the ground.

It was F1 force – the second lowest in the tornado scale, which reaches up to F5.

He said: “F5 is the type you see on the plains of North America and even to see those you have to be in the right place at the right time.”

Mr Randell was forced to retire four years ago from arthirtis and this has allowed him even more time focusing on his hobby. He said Saturday was one of the best days of his life.

He added: “I was absolutely flabbergasted, stunned by what I saw, and at the same time I was so grateful to see one so close.”