68 years on, German prosecutors return to Oradour in new hunt for six perpetrators of French village massacre who may still be alive

Germany has re-opened an investigation into the massacre of 642 French villagers by Nazi soldiers in one of the darkest chapters of World war Two.
Almost the entire population of Oradour-sur-Glane, including 400 women and children, was gunned down or burned alive in a single day by SS troops on June 10, 1944.
More than 68 years later, a German prosecutor and senior police officers have visited the abandoned village in central France, which Hitlers troops burned to the ground before they fled.
German authorities believe there may still be six men still at large, all now in their late 80s, who were members of SS Panzer Division that committed the atrocity.

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Germany's investigators walk in front of the ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane, central France, yesterday. An investigation for crimes of war is led by German and French authorities 68 years after the 1944 massacre

Other investigations into the massacre have been started over the past 60 years, but all earlier probes were abandoned due to lack of evidence

The team of investigators from Berlin (pictured) want to speak to the only two living survivors of the bloodbath, carried out in revenge for the capture of a German officer by French resistance fighters in a nearby village

The village has been left untouched since the massacre to serve both as a shrine to those who died and as a constant reminder of the unremitting evil of the Nazis.
The team of investigators from Berlin want to speak to the only two living survivors of the bloodbath, carried out in revenge for the capture of a German officer by French resistance fighters in a nearby village.
Although several probes have previously been opened into the massacre, they had to be shut down due to a lack of evidence.

 

But when a historian in 2010 discovered documents implicating all six suspects, still alive and now aged between 85 and 86, the case had enough evidence to be re-opened.
The documents were found in files kept by the Stasi, former East Germany's feared and hated secret police.
The German authorities are under constant pressure from Jewish and human rights pressure groups to round up Nazi war criminals before they die.
The latest probe into the Oradour massacre comes after detectives from Berlin re-opened an investigation three years ago into another mass murder of 124 people in the French village of Maille in August 1944, but no culprits have yet been brought to justice.
The women and children were herded into the village church where SS troopers had soaked the church pews with petrol and barred all exits.
Fire grenades were tossed among the villagers and those that survived were later burned alive as a reprisal for attacks on German soldiers occupying France by members of the French Resistance movement.
More than 200 men were herded into a barn where machine gunners opened fire, shooting at their legs so they could not move then dousing them with petrol and setting them alight.

The village has purposely been left untouched since the massacre, to serve both as a shrine to those who died and as a constant reminder of the unremitting evil of the Nazis

Dortmund prosecutor Andreas Brendel told French reporters in Oradour: 'We hope the survivors may be able to help us identify any culprits who are still alive'

Remains of a burnt out vehicle. A new village of Oradour-sur-Glane was built nearby which is now home to more than 2,000 people, while the abandoned village is popular with tourists curious about the war

Rows of burnt out cars reveal the extent to which the Nazis obliterated the town in 1944

The remains of the church in which 247 women and 205 children were trapped and killed by the Nazis. The middle window behind the altar is the one through which the only survivor Marguerite Rouffanche escaped

SS lieutenant Heinz Barth was the only man to serve time for the massacre

A new village of Oradour-sur-Glane was built nearby which is now home to more than 2,000 people.
Robert Hebras, 87 - was one of only six villagers who escaped the carnage - said: 'It is a very strange moment to see German officials here 68 years later.
'But I applaud what they are doing and pray there is still time to bring to justice any of the monsters still alive did this to us.'
Dortmund prosecutor Andreas Brendel told French reporters in Oradour: 'We hope the survivors may be able to help us identify any culprits who are still alive.'
Three trials of 30 former SS officers have taken place since 1953, but only one man, SS-Obersturmfhrer Heinz Barth, was ever convicted.
In 1953 a French military tribunal sentenced 21 Nazi soldiers  to death for the atrocities they committed. They were never executed and their sentences commuted in the name of ‘national reconciliation’ between France and Germany.
The only man convicted was SS-Obersturmfhrer Heinz Barth, who gave the order to shoot 20 male victims.
Barth was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1983 and released in 1997. He died  ten years later in August 2007.

Oradour-sur-Glane in a picture taken not long after the troops left and survivors were left to pick up the pieces

Robert Hebras, 87 - was one of only six villagers who escaped the carnage - said: 'It is a very strange moment to see German officials here 68 years later'

French historian Guy Perlier told Le Figaro newspaper, 'This illustrates German thinking which insists on shedding light on all acts committed by the German army during this period'

THE HORROR OF JUNE 10 1944: HOW MARGUERITE ROUFFANCHE ESCAPED NAZIS MURDERERS AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE

Bodies of the victims lined up following the village massacre in 1944

Early on the morning of 10 June 1944, the 2nd SS Panzer Division entered the village of Oradour-sur-Glane to avenge the death of a German officer who had been kidnapped by the French Resistance.
They marched into the town and separated the men from the women and children.
The men were taken to six barns and shed while the women and children were locked in the church while the village was looted.
The men were said to be shot in the legs before being doused in petrol and set alight.
Six men escaped although one was later found nearby and shot dead. In total 190 men perished.
The soldiers proceeded to the church and tried to set it alight. Women and children tried to escape through the doors and windows of the church, but were met with machine-gun fire.
A total of 247 women and 205 children died. Two women and one child survived; one was 47-year-old Marguerite Rouffanche. She hauled herself out of a window behind the altar, followed by a young woman and child. German soldiers shot all three of them, killing the woman and child by wounding Rouffanche who escaped into nearby foliage where she stayed until she was rescued the following day.

The following is part of her testimony read out to the 1953 Bordeaux military tribunal:

'Firing burst out in the church then straw, faggots and chairs were thrown pele-mele onto bodies lying on the stone slabs. I had escaped from the killing and was without injury so I made use of a smoke cloud to slip behind the altar. In this part of the church there are three windows. I made for the widest one in the middle and with the help of a stool used to light the candles, I tried to reach it. I don't know how but my strength was multiplied. I heaved myself up to it as best I could and threw myself out of the opening that was offered to me through the already shattered window. I jumped about nine feet down.

'When I looked up I saw I had been followed in my climb by a woman holding out her baby to me. She fell down next to me but the Germans, alerted by the cries of the baby, machine-gunned us. The woman and the mite were killed and I too was injured as I made it to a neighbouring garden and hid among some rows of peas and waited anxiously for someone to come to help me. That wasn't until the following day at 5 p.m.'

Several other investigations into the massacre have been started over the past 60 years, but all earlier probes were abandoned due to lack of evidence.
Mr Brendel added: 'This time we aim to make arrests and put those responsible on trial for war crimes.'
Dortmund prosecutor Andreas Brendel said that the aim of the visit, the first by German investigators since World War Two was to identify the exact locations where the SS unit was deployed and interview witnesses to the massacre.
French historian Guy Perlier told Le Figaro newspaper, ‘ This illustrates German thinking which insists on shedding light on all acts committed by the German army during this period’.

Camille Senon, one of the survivors who witnessed the aftermath of the massacre in which her family members died, said: ‘It is considered  a positive gesture by the Germans to send investigators for the first time, 68 years after, even though I would have liked to have seen it happen sooner’.

Camille Senon, one of the survivors who witnessed the aftermath of the massacre in which her family members died, said: ‘It is considered a positive gesture by the Germans to send investigators'

The remains of the village bakery destroyed by SS troops

Wide shot of the village showing the complete destruction of every single building

Survivors sift through the remains in the immediate aftermath of the 1944 raid by Hitler's troops

Oradour-sur-Glane located on a map of France

Fears over new generation of 'brat pack' police chiefs after government scraps rules forcing recruits to serve as a beat bobby

New police recruits will not have to serve as a bobby on the beat for the first time in Britain as the rule forcing them to be join as a PC was scrapped today.
The 'brightest and best' will instead enter at superintendent level as part of an overhaul of recruitment rules unveiled by policing minister Damian Green.
It has raised concerns Britain's forces will produce a generation of senior officers 'who haven't felt the collar' of a criminal and lead to 'risks to the public', the President of the Police Superintendents' Association Dereak Barnett has said. 
'One of the benefits of having an operational grounding is that you have been able to deal with critical incidents, you have dealt with the very sad incidence of dead bodies,' he added

Fast track: Rules restricting young stars flying up the ranks of British policing will be relaxed, meaning some could be chief constables at 30

This brat pack of talented police officers could also become chief constables by the time they are 30 under the new Government plans.
Foreigners can also join the British police for the first time while experienced individuals from other industries like politics, business and the armed forces can be given senior jobs.
'The fast-track-to-inspector scheme will attract the brightest with the most potential to go on to become leaders,' Mr Green said.
'Direct entry at senior ranks will make sure that there is access to the best pool of talent, those who have proven leadership and business skills and who can bring with them fresh thinking from other sectors.'
Currently nobody under the age of 40 is in any of the 330-or-so top jobs in British policing, but the fast-track scheme could halve the 20 to 25 years it would take to get there.

Damian Green: 'Direct entry at senior ranks will make sure that there is access to the best pool of talent', the policing minister said

Changes would also allow individuals like American supercop Bill Bratton, who tackled gang crime and reformed policing in New York and Los Angeles, to run the Metropolitan Police.

 

Mr Bratton was courted by David Cameron to run Scotland Yard in 2011, but was blocked from applying because of concerns about appointing a foreigner to a post with national security responsibilities.
The overhaul is part of a package of reforms that were drawn up by ex-rail regulator Tom Winsor in the most wide-ranging review of police pay and conditions in more than 30 years.

Changes: Supercop Bill Bratton, pictured running LA police, says he would love to run the Met as Downing Street is changing rules to allow foreigners to run British forces

Under his proposals, 'exceptional' applicants would have the chance to rise from civilian to inspector in just three years.
Successful businessmen and women, along with members of the armed forces and the security services, should all be encouraged to apply to the fast-track scheme, Mr Winsor said.
Mr Winsor, who is now Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, previously said he wanted to end the notion of policing as an intellectually undemanding occupation.
He added that the 'brightest and best' applicants with skills 'distinctly above those of factory workers' were needed.
Sir Peter Fahy from the Association of Chief Police Officers said the changes could see existing officers frustrated in their bids for promotion.
'All chief constables have served on the beat, experiencing the reality of day-to-day operational policing with the public. This is the model used by other countries who have followed the British system such as the USA. Bill Bratton, former chief of New York started this way. The direct entry officer class model tends to be followed by para-military police forces such as the French CRS or the Italian Carabinieri.
'Acpo has no problem with bringing in expertise from outside and in many forces up to 50% of staff are non police officers. Every force has senior civilian staff in top leadership positions in such fields as human resources, finance and IT. On the other hand such matters as firearms operations, murder investigations and dealing with public disorder are commanded by those with proven expertise and records of achievement.'

Damian Green predicted there would be a foreign Metropolitan Police Commissioner in 'years rather than decades'.

'I have no idea [when], but, yeah, years rather than decades. I think if five years ago you said "can you envisage the Governor of the Bank of England talking to you in a Canadian accent?", you would have thought that was a bit odd.

'But actually, Mark Carney is, I am told, the best central banker in the world and it’s great that he’s going to apply those talents in this country and the same will be true of senior policemen.'

He said the Government was committed to the reforms, and the consultation which would be announced today was on the implementation of the plan. 

'It will happen and we’re consulting on how best to do it. But I think bringing in new talent so that our very, very good police service becomes even better in the future is absolutely essential to continue the reform that has successfully led to a fall in crime in this country.'

Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe told a policing conference earlier this month that it was time to 'consider and support' direct entry. He added that he would like to see one in 10 senior officers recruited from outside the police force.
In addition, a proposal to allow candidates from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among others, to front up forces in England and Wales is expected.
That will pave the way for a renewed interest in Mr Bratton, 65, who said that leading the Met is ‘the only job’ that interests him in the UK.
The move will unsettle Bernard Hogan-Howe, Met commissioner since September 2011, who has faced criticism over his handling of the ‘plebgate’ affair involving former chief whip Andrew Mitchell.

Fear: The London riots, which spread across the UK, shocked the nation and Bill Bratton's track-record in LA and New York is seen an ideal way to prevent a repeat

Mr Bratton, who was consulted by Mr Cameron over tackling gangs after the summer riots in 2011, was credited with halving the murder rate in New York  and cutting violent crime in Los Angeles.
He advocates a zero-tolerance approach to policing.
He said running the Met was a unique and internationally important post.
‘There are three Western police agencies that have great significance in international policing – London, New York and Los Angeles,’ he said.
‘I’ve had the privilege of leading the two police departments in the US that have that international impact and that is something that is part of my interest in the Met.’
At the heart of Bratton's policing tactics are the use of injunctions, which restrict the movements of those accused of being in gangs or involved in organised crime.
He also uses the 'broken windows' theory - where he demands every crime should be investigated, however small, as he believes it will also reduce more serious crimes too.

We will be sitting around the shadow cabinet table': Osborne's grim joke on Tories election prospects

As the man charged with delivering a Tory victory at the next election, George Osborne is supposed to be a cheerleader for Conservative triumph in 2015.
But the Chancellor has revealed his inner doubts about the prospects of victory to the rest of the Cabinet.
The Mail has learned that Mr Osborne surprised his fellow ministers recently by cracking a doom-laden joke predicting that the party will soon be in opposition.
Mr Osborne’s comment came as Tory chairman Grant Shapps outlined ways the Tory Party can maximise their vote by reaching out to black and other ethnic minority voters at the next election.
One minister urged Mr Cameron to act promptly on the plans, saying: ‘We don’t want to be sitting around the Cabinet table having this conversation in three years’ time.’
At that point Mr Osborne piped up: ‘In three years’ time we will be sitting around the shadow cabinet table.’
Those present said the Chancellor was ‘only half joking’ when he made the crack and that he provoked ‘nervous laughter’ from other ministers.
Mr Osborne’s gallows humour was particularly stark coming from the man who is charged with devising the Conservative election strategy and reviving Britain’s economic fortunes.
And observers expressed surprise that the Chancellor chose to make his gloomy comment at a meeting expressly designed to boost the Tories’ prospects of boosting their vote share in 2015.

 

One of those present said: ‘George just said it quick as a flash. There was a bit of a stunned pause while everyone realised what he meant and then a lot of nervous laughter. Everyone knows we might lose but to hear it from George himself is not exactly reassuring.’
Another source said: ‘It was an odd moment to make that joke since we were talking about how we win, not how we lose.’
A spokesman for Mr Osborne denied that he is pessimistic about the Tories’ chances of success: ‘George thinks we can and will win the next election.’ But he did not deny that the comment was made.
Details of the Chancellor’s mordant joke emerged as Tories said they will seek ‘revenge’ for the Liberal Democrats voting down reform of constituency boundaries, which would have given the Tories a 20 seat boost at the next election.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne made the grim joke at a meeting to discuss ways of boosting Conservative election chances

Thanks to the pro-Labour bias, the Tories will now need a national poll lead of around 7 per cent to secure a majority.
Under plans being discussed by senior Conservatives, more Lib Dem seats would be added to the Tory hitlist of target seats.
Tory donors will be asked to contribute with the specific intention of ousting particular Lib Dem MPs.
Mr Shapps has drawn up a list of 40 seats the Tories need to win a healthy majority - 20 of which are Lib Dem seats.
But a well-placed source said: ‘The talk now is that we increase that to 30 or 35. Make them pay. It’s pretty hard getting donors to cough up to run photocopiers at Millbank [Tory HQ] but they would be more than happy to fund a campaign to oust some more of these b******s.’

Eric Pickles joked that the Coalition has become like a family gathering with relatives who have outstayed their welcome

Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, has said that the coalition is like an extended family that has spent too much time together.
It was like Boxing Day, he said. ‘You have been as nice as you can to your relatives, but by the time Boxing Day comes around you realise why you do not live together.’
Tory MPs in target seats will be told they must attend ethnic minority events in order to boost their chances of victory.
Before Mr Osborne’s joke, ministers had heard how being non-white is the single biggest reason why people don’t vote Tory -more important than class or wealth or home town.
They then discussed plans for David Cameron to make a speech distancing the Tories from the toxic legacy of Enoch Powell, whose ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech about immigration in the 1960s is still seen as proof the party is racist by some ethnic minority voters.
Mr Cameron has brought in Australian election expert Lynton Crosby to run the campaign. But strategy will still be set by himself and Mr Osborne, who divides his time at the Treasury with political strategy meetings in Number 10 Downing Street.
Labour leader Ed Miliband regularly taunts Mr Osborne as ‘the part time Chancellor’ for his dual political and economic role.
But a growing number of Tory MPs are also losing patience with Mr Osborne amid concerns that the flatlining of the economy will cost them any prospect of victory in 2015.
One senior backbencher said yesterday: ‘People are getting nervous that the time on the economic clock is beginning to run out.’

TV host Jeremy Kyle recovering from chemotherapy after secret battle with testicular cancer

Jeremy Kyle has been fighting a secret battle against testicular cancer, it emerged yesterday.
The controversial television  presenter has had surgery and chemotherapy after being diagnosed shortly before Christmas.
He was forced to take a break from recording his daytime show and is recuperating abroad after doctors gave him a clean bill of health.
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Cancer scare: Jeremy Kyle is believed to be recuperating after being given the all clear

But a friend said the 47-year-old father of four had been devastated to discover he had the disease.
‘This has hit him for six,’ the friend added. ‘He’s relatively young and this was the last thing he expected to happen to him.
‘Just by chance he noticed he had a lump and decided to get it checked out.

 

‘When the doctors told him it was toxic it turned his family’s life upside down. He hopes to be back filming his show soon. He won’t let this beat him.’
Kyle has been married to his second wife Carla, mother of three of his children, for 11 years.
He discovered the lump after flying back from filming the American version of his show.

Recuperating: Jeremy has been forced to take a break from his hit daytime show to recover

His spokesman confirmed: ‘Jeremy has recently undergone treatment for testicular cancer and is currently resting abroad.’
The presenter has hosted The Jeremy Kyle Show on ITV for seven and a half years, putting dysfunctional relationships in the spotlight. Many have criticised it for glorifying ‘broken Britain’.
He was unable to attend the National Television Awards ceremony last week where his programme was nominated for best daytime TV show, although it missed out to This Morning.
Testicular cancer affects one man in 450 before the age of 50 and is the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 45.

Support: Kyle has been married to his second wife Carla, mother of three of his children, for 11 years

The number of cases in the UK has doubled in the past 40 years and around 2,200 new cases are diagnosed each year.
There are various different types of testicular cancer, 90 per cent of which affect men under the age of 55. The survival rate has risen every year since the 1970s and is now around 97 per cent, provided it is treated early.
Snooker player Jimmy White, UKIP leader Nigel Farage and drug-cheat champion cyclist  Lance Armstrong have all overcome the disease. Kyle has previously revealed that he beat a gambling problem and has talked about suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In his 2009 autobiography, I’m Only Being Honest, he wrote: ‘I get up and mop the kitchen floor at 2am. I lick my mobile phone to make sure it’s clean – I know it’s disgusting. I did lick golf balls too until somebody told me a guy in America who did that died because of the pesticides.’
Kyle was a salesman before his move into broadcasting via local radio, landing his TV slot after Trisha Goddard left her daytime ITV series to go to Channel 5.

RARE FORM OF CANCER... BUT IT'S ONE OF THE MOST TREATABLE

Testicular cancer usually affects men aged between 15 and 44.
The most common symptom is a painless lump or swelling in the testicles, though others include a 'heaviness' or dull ache in the scrotum.
It is relatively uncommon, accounting for just one per cent of all cancers in men, and unusual in that it tends to affect younger men.
Around 2,090 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer every year in Britain. White men are five times more likely to develop it than black men. It is not understood why.
The number of cases of testicular cancer in Britain has doubled since the mid-1970s. Again, the reasons are not known.
Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable forms of the disease. More than 95 per cent of men with early stage testicular cancer will be completely cured, and there is an 80 per cent survival rate even when it spreads to other tissue.
Deaths are relatively rare, with around 70 men dying from it in Britain each year.
Treatment includes chemotherapy and the surgical removal of the affected testicle, which should not affect fertility or the ability to have sex as the other testicle increases sperm production.

The wind turbine that couldn't cope with a gale: £250,000 tower crashes to the ground after its blades spin out of control

v
y conditions. But this 115ft wind turbine crashed to the ground after being forced over in high winds.
The £250,000 tower was left a ‘mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades’, say witnesses, after apparently struggling to stand up to 50mph gusts.
Experts believe the winds were so strong the blades span out of control causing the massive structure to catch fire and collapse. It was supposed to have a life expectancy of 25 years – but has lasted just three.

Smash: A 115ft wind turbine was blown down at East Ash Farm in Devon near Holsworthy

 

 

'Mangled wreck': The gale-force wind made the blades spin out of control and the turbine caught on fire

 

What a waste: The controversial structure was only erected in 2010, at a cost of £250,000

 

Investigating: The firm that built the turbine no one was put at risk because of its isolated position

 

Pushing on: The farm's owners have recently been granted permission to erect a second turbine

Renewable energy company Dulas installed the Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, Devon, despite protests from villagers who said it would be noisy and spoil the view.

 

Councillor Keith Tomlin said: 'We are relieved that no one was injured, but had this happened in daytime there was a chance of serious injury to workers on the farm where it was located or to the public on the road nearby.
'Of greater concern is that Torridge District Council have recently approved the erection of a second turbine of the same size and manufacture at this location that would have been closer to the public road.'
The Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW device was the first model of its kind to be erected in the UK.

 

Red alert! A Royal Mail driver's lorry veered off the road into a ditch near Broadmayne in Dorset on the A353

THE WRONG KIND OF WINDFALL

Three turbines were wrecked earlier this month in the last bout of rough weather, while a 300ft turbine in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, erupted in flames in December during gales of 165mph.
It was said to have been switched off, but had a ‘brake system failure’.
The accidents have swept away any remaining illusions that strong winds simply mean more electricity being generated.
The turbines damaged last month stood within a mile of one another in the countryside around Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
One in the village of Upper Cumberworth lost one of its three blades, and another in the same village lost two. A third, in nearby Hepworth, lost all three, with debris blown across a road into a neighbouring property.
Wind farms in Scotland were paid nearly £300,000 in the first five days of this year to close down because it was too windy.
The controversial ‘constraint payments’ were made after they produced more energy than the National Grid could handle.
Last year 17 wind farm operators were paid £7million to shut down on 40 occasions between January and September.
Up to 32,000 wind turbines could be built in England and Wales over the next 40 years to meet government targets.

A spokesman for the Welsh firm said the Canadian-built generator has a five-year warranty and no-one had been injured when it fell on private land.
He said: 'Our technical team is one of the most experienced in the UK and they are working alongside the turbine manufacturer to conduct a full root cause analysis investigation.'
Bob Barfoot, North Devon chairman of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said it had been turned into a 'mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades'.
He added: 'The blades would have rotated beyond the allowable maximum speed and destroyed the whole turbine.'

Meanwhile, Britain woke up to more showers and gales today after a stormy night on which hurricane-force winds hit the UK.
Gusts of 75-85mph were recorded across the Northern Isles, Western Isles and North-West Scotland, with fierce winds of more than 100mph tearing across many parts of the Highlands.
Highs of 110mph were recorded in Inverness, 105mph in Gramping and 135mph at Cairngorm. The Met Office warned the gusts could lead to bridges being closed and other travel problems.
A 64-year-old man was knocked unconscious in Oldham, Greater Manchester, when a tree was uprooted by gale-force winds and fell on him as he walked by.
Emergency services said the walker was 'lucky to be alive' after he was trapped under the 20ft tree.
Luckily, crews from the fire station were just metres away and rushed to his aid, pulling him out from underneath.

 

Sunset: Becky Vincent, 18, enjoys a blustery walk with her dog Dobby on Bournemouth beach today

 

Sunshine: It was a bright day in the South despite the strong winds and chilly temperatures

 

Dog's life: But the storms, squalls and flooding chaos are far from over, forecasters warn

The incident happened at around 1pm today opposite Chadderton Fire Station in Greater Manchester after winds of up to 65mph battered the area, knocking down several trees.
Firefighter Tony Field said: 'A bloke who was in his 60s was walking along on the pavement when a huge gust of wind uprooted the tree and fell on him.
'He is very lucky to be alive and fortunate that he was not seriously hurt, but unlucky in the fact that he was walking past at that precise moment.
'We were out at a school doing a fire safety course with the kids when we got the call saying "man trapped under tree". We were only around the corner so we got there within minutes.
'When we got there he was conscious and he was being given first aid by a trauma technician from our station across the road who assisted until the ambulance arrived.

 

Close call: A 64-year-old in Oldham was knocked unconscious by a tree after gale force winds knocked it down

 

Shock: The man suffered head injuries after the tree fell on him. Luckily, he was just opposite a fire station

 

Hospitalised: Firefighters said he was 'lucky to be alive' after 65mph winds dragged the tree from its roots

'We are not exactly sure but we think he was briefly knocked unconscious by the tree which was about 15 or 20ft tall.
'He managed to walk to the ambulance and had a bandage around his head, but there wasn't any blood.'
Ian Lacey, manager of nearby business Highbarn Motorcycles, said: 'I heard a huge crack and looked out and saw the tree on the pavement. At first I didn't know that someone had been hit but then I saw him sat up on the pavement.
'A couple of cars pulled over to help but the tree didn't fall info the road so it didn't stop traffic.
'It was an almighty thud when the tree came down. The wind has been ferocious and been battering the shop all day.

 

 

 

Barking: A 70ft tree that fell down in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, is lifted out by crane

 

 

Uprooted: The tree crashed through a fence into a neighbouring garden, but luckily only caused minor damage

 

 

Big job: Police and firefighters checked out the risks before attaching the tree to chains and hoisting it out

Out of the woods: The retired homeowners escaped unharmed despite some guttering being torn off

'From what I can gather he was just walking along and it has landed on him. What looked like a paramedic seemed to be helping him. He looked dazed but he was talking.
'How much of the tree actually hit him I don't know, but he definitely had a head injury. He was sat up and talking.'
A 70ft tree in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, fell through a fence and had to be lifted out by crane.
Luckily, only minor damage was caused to the Solihull property, with only some guttering torn down.
Its retired owners, who escaped uninjured, called the police after hearing the huge tree fall down in the wind.
Police and firefighters arrived at the scene at around 4pm, checked the tree did not pose a hazard to the public and lifted it out by crane.
In Dorset, millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea following a series of landslides at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis.
Some 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, have been damaged or have slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud and earth slipped down the cliff following heavy rain.
Because the cliff is continually moving it is now feared the buildings will be written off.
But the extreme weather is not over, with gale-force winds and heavy showers expected today and tomorrow and flood warnings out for Friday.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for wind and rain in the south of England and much of Scotland.
Devon and South Wales can expect 'localised flooding and disruption to travel', according to forecasters.

 

Landslide: Millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea in Dorset

 

Costly problem: A series of landslides have damaged the seaside homes at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis

 

End of the road? The 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud slipped down the cliff following heavy rain

Beleaguered Britons continue to suffer from the effects of last week's Big Freeze, with torrential rain plus the Big Thaw causing flooding in low-lying areas.
A shocked driver had a nasty surprise on their morning commute today when a waterlogged road gave way beneath their car.
The terrified motorist's Volkswagen Polo crashed through the tarmac in a rainy Manchester after the ground crumbled following overnight flooding.
Villager in Holywell, Cambridgeshire, were stranded today after the main road flooded during a stormy night.
The River Great Ouse burst its banks overnight as heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph lashed the area.

 

The road, which is flooded with more than 4ft of water in some places, is villagers' only way in and out.
The Environment Agency says nearly 50 properties across England and Wales have flooded since Saturday.

 

Crash: Waves pound the coast in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland, as high winds batter the country

 

Eye of the storm: Deborah McLaughlan, from Dalry, steels herself against the freezing spray in Saltcoats

 

 

 

Fierce: Gusts in Scotland reached hurricane force last night, with 135mph the fastest recorded

Dramatic: Scotland will see more extreme conditions over the days to come, with hail and thunder forecast

There are currently 47 flood warnings and 169 flood alerts in place, although this is predicted to increase.
Although the weather has brightened up and temperatures remain mild at around 10-11C, forecasters expect hail, thunderstorms and snow showers to come.
Early rain will clear from eastern England today to leave most of the UK with spells of sunshine and downpours, which will be heaviest and most frequent in the West with the chance of hail and thunder.

 

A Met office spokesman said: 'A band of squally rain will push across the country this evening - with about 5-10mm falling overnight - and some thunder, hail and turbulent weather, especially in hilly areas.

Bad day for a stroll: Strong winds and a high tide on Blackpool's Central Prom

'There will be snow showers in Scotland going into Friday, with 20-30mm of rainfall.'
Saturday will be bright with cold weather and more snow showers in the north, which will move down the east coast as far as East Anglia. Sunday will be warmer, but with heavy rain.

Two men died after falling into the stormy sea off Torquay, Devon, over the last two days.
A member of Torbay lifeboat crew jumped into the chilly water at the harbour last night and pulled a man ashore, but he died despite resuscitation attempts
RNLI spokesman Colin Bower said weather conditions were extremely poor, with heavy seas whipped up by gale-force winds of around 70mph.
The man has not been named but Devon and Cornwall Police said his next of kin had been informed.

 

A combination of sunshine and showers hits the UK, with a bright Saturday giving way to a wet Sunday

 

 

Warning: Strong winds today may cause travel chaos while Friday will bring heavy rain and floods

Just 24 hours earlier, the body of a fisherman was found by rescuers searching for a boat that had gone missing off Torquay.
Rescue helicopter, RNLI lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and two Royal Navy vessels were involved in the search in gale-force winds.
Jeremy Linn from Brixham Coastguard said: 'He had been fishing for the afternoon and was coming home with a catch on board, which means he obviously had quite a lot of weight in the boat.
'It was not good weather - it was very windy, we'd had lots of rain and the sea state was rough - so it's a strong possibility that the boat was swamped in some way and sank.'
Torbay lifeboat Coxswain Mark Criddle said: 'It's very sad that two young men have lost their lives in this way.'
A Royal Mail lorry veered off a rural road near Broadmayne in Dorset yesterday and toppled into a ditch.
The vehicle is thought to have been hit by strong gusts of 35 miles per hour and blown over.
Ambulance crews raced to the scene to assist the 53-year-old male driver, but he escaped with no injuries.

Trapped indoors: The main road in the village of Holywell, Cambs, today after overnight flooding

 

Stranded: Heavy rain in the Cambridgeshire village caused the River Great Ouse to burst its banks

 

Soaked: The downpours and winds of up to 80mph left the road under more than 4ft of water

Police attended the incident on the A353 and closed the road as the lorry was towed away by a rescue company.

 

Charles Powell, forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'By midday, wind speeds were reaching up to 35 miles per hour and were in a south westerly direction.
'Gusts can reach roads at a perpendicular angle to the way the traffic travels, a high gusts can hit vehicles like lorries with impact and cause them to topple over.'
A homeowner had a lucky escape when a powerful gust of wind blew a skylight window out of her roof and sent it crashing down on her car.
The heavy 3ft x 2ft frame and glass flew over the house and landed on owner Katie Gregory's car three floors below.
It caused around £1,000 of damage to the wing and windscreen of her Citroen Picasso, but luckily no-one was injured.
Ms Gregory, 33, had opened the roof window slightly on Sunday to let some air into the attic bedroom of her terraced house in Dudley, West Mids.
The mother-of-two said: 'I was in the back of the house when I heard screaming round the front.
'I could see glass absolutely everywhere and looked out and saw my car was damaged.
'I thought something had fallen off a lorry going past and then saw the window and realised it was my skylight.

Bubbles: High winds cause sea foam to fly across the path of motorists in Cleveleys, Lancashire

 

Washout: A man in a hi-vis jacket looks out at the gathering clouds as the sea churns around his feet

The £250,000 tower was left a ‘mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades’, say witnesses, after apparently struggling to stand up to 50mph gusts.
Experts believe the winds were so strong the blades span out of control causing the massive structure to catch fire and collapse. It was supposed to have a life expectancy of 25 years – but has lasted just three.

Smash: A 115ft wind turbine was blown down at East Ash Farm in Devon near Holsworthy

 

 

'Mangled wreck': The gale-force wind made the blades spin out of control and the turbine caught on fire

 

What a waste: The controversial structure was only erected in 2010, at a cost of £250,000

 

Investigating: The firm that built the turbine no one was put at risk because of its isolated position

 

Pushing on: The farm's owners have recently been granted permission to erect a second turbine

Renewable energy company Dulas installed the Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, Devon, despite protests from villagers who said it would be noisy and spoil the view.

 

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Councillor Keith Tomlin said: 'We are relieved that no one was injured, but had this happened in daytime there was a chance of serious injury to workers on the farm where it was located or to the public on the road nearby.
'Of greater concern is that Torridge District Council have recently approved the erection of a second turbine of the same size and manufacture at this location that would have been closer to the public road.'
The Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW device was the first model of its kind to be erected in the UK.

 

Red alert! A Royal Mail driver's lorry veered off the road into a ditch near Broadmayne in Dorset on the A353

THE WRONG KIND OF WINDFALL

Three turbines were wrecked earlier this month in the last bout of rough weather, while a 300ft turbine in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, erupted in flames in December during gales of 165mph.
It was said to have been switched off, but had a ‘brake system failure’.
The accidents have swept away any remaining illusions that strong winds simply mean more electricity being generated.
The turbines damaged last month stood within a mile of one another in the countryside around Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
One in the village of Upper Cumberworth lost one of its three blades, and another in the same village lost two. A third, in nearby Hepworth, lost all three, with debris blown across a road into a neighbouring property.
Wind farms in Scotland were paid nearly £300,000 in the first five days of this year to close down because it was too windy.
The controversial ‘constraint payments’ were made after they produced more energy than the National Grid could handle.
Last year 17 wind farm operators were paid £7million to shut down on 40 occasions between January and September.
Up to 32,000 wind turbines could be built in England and Wales over the next 40 years to meet government targets.

A spokesman for the Welsh firm said the Canadian-built generator has a five-year warranty and no-one had been injured when it fell on private land.
He said: 'Our technical team is one of the most experienced in the UK and they are working alongside the turbine manufacturer to conduct a full root cause analysis investigation.'
Bob Barfoot, North Devon chairman of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said it had been turned into a 'mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades'.
He added: 'The blades would have rotated beyond the allowable maximum speed and destroyed the whole turbine.'

Meanwhile, Britain woke up to more showers and gales today after a stormy night on which hurricane-force winds hit the UK.
Gusts of 75-85mph were recorded across the Northern Isles, Western Isles and North-West Scotland, with fierce winds of more than 100mph tearing across many parts of the Highlands.
Highs of 110mph were recorded in Inverness, 105mph in Gramping and 135mph at Cairngorm. The Met Office warned the gusts could lead to bridges being closed and other travel problems.
A 64-year-old man was knocked unconscious in Oldham, Greater Manchester, when a tree was uprooted by gale-force winds and fell on him as he walked by.
Emergency services said the walker was 'lucky to be alive' after he was trapped under the 20ft tree.
Luckily, crews from the fire station were just metres away and rushed to his aid, pulling him out from underneath.

 

Sunset: Becky Vincent, 18, enjoys a blustery walk with her dog Dobby on Bournemouth beach today

 

Sunshine: It was a bright day in the South despite the strong winds and chilly temperatures

 

Dog's life: But the storms, squalls and flooding chaos are far from over, forecasters warn

The incident happened at around 1pm today opposite Chadderton Fire Station in Greater Manchester after winds of up to 65mph battered the area, knocking down several trees.
Firefighter Tony Field said: 'A bloke who was in his 60s was walking along on the pavement when a huge gust of wind uprooted the tree and fell on him.
'He is very lucky to be alive and fortunate that he was not seriously hurt, but unlucky in the fact that he was walking past at that precise moment.
'We were out at a school doing a fire safety course with the kids when we got the call saying "man trapped under tree". We were only around the corner so we got there within minutes.
'When we got there he was conscious and he was being given first aid by a trauma technician from our station across the road who assisted until the ambulance arrived.

 

Close call: A 64-year-old in Oldham was knocked unconscious by a tree after gale force winds knocked it down

 

Shock: The man suffered head injuries after the tree fell on him. Luckily, he was just opposite a fire station

 

Hospitalised: Firefighters said he was 'lucky to be alive' after 65mph winds dragged the tree from its roots

'We are not exactly sure but we think he was briefly knocked unconscious by the tree which was about 15 or 20ft tall.
'He managed to walk to the ambulance and had a bandage around his head, but there wasn't any blood.'
Ian Lacey, manager of nearby business Highbarn Motorcycles, said: 'I heard a huge crack and looked out and saw the tree on the pavement. At first I didn't know that someone had been hit but then I saw him sat up on the pavement.
'A couple of cars pulled over to help but the tree didn't fall info the road so it didn't stop traffic.
'It was an almighty thud when the tree came down. The wind has been ferocious and been battering the shop all day.

 

 

 

Barking: A 70ft tree that fell down in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, is lifted out by crane

 

 

Uprooted: The tree crashed through a fence into a neighbouring garden, but luckily only caused minor damage

 

 

Big job: Police and firefighters checked out the risks before attaching the tree to chains and hoisting it out

Out of the woods: The retired homeowners escaped unharmed despite some guttering being torn off

'From what I can gather he was just walking along and it has landed on him. What looked like a paramedic seemed to be helping him. He looked dazed but he was talking.
'How much of the tree actually hit him I don't know, but he definitely had a head injury. He was sat up and talking.'
A 70ft tree in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, fell through a fence and had to be lifted out by crane.
Luckily, only minor damage was caused to the Solihull property, with only some guttering torn down.
Its retired owners, who escaped uninjured, called the police after hearing the huge tree fall down in the wind.
Police and firefighters arrived at the scene at around 4pm, checked the tree did not pose a hazard to the public and lifted it out by crane.
In Dorset, millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea following a series of landslides at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis.
Some 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, have been damaged or have slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud and earth slipped down the cliff following heavy rain.
Because the cliff is continually moving it is now feared the buildings will be written off.
But the extreme weather is not over, with gale-force winds and heavy showers expected today and tomorrow and flood warnings out for Friday.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for wind and rain in the south of England and much of Scotland.
Devon and South Wales can expect 'localised flooding and disruption to travel', according to forecasters.

 

Landslide: Millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea in Dorset

 

Costly problem: A series of landslides have damaged the seaside homes at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis

 

End of the road? The 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud slipped down the cliff following heavy rain

Beleaguered Britons continue to suffer from the effects of last week's Big Freeze, with torrential rain plus the Big Thaw causing flooding in low-lying areas.
A shocked driver had a nasty surprise on their morning commute today when a waterlogged road gave way beneath their car.
The terrified motorist's Volkswagen Polo crashed through the tarmac in a rainy Manchester after the ground crumbled following overnight flooding.
Villager in Holywell, Cambridgeshire, were stranded today after the main road flooded during a stormy night.
The River Great Ouse burst its banks overnight as heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph lashed the area.

 

The road, which is flooded with more than 4ft of water in some places, is villagers' only way in and out.

 

Crash: Waves pound the coast in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland, as high winds batter the country

 

Eye of the storm: Deborah McLaughlan, from Dalry, steels herself against the freezing spray in Saltcoats

 

 

 

Fierce: Gusts in Scotland reached hurricane force last night, with 135mph the fastest recorded

Dramatic: Scotland will see more extreme conditions over the days to come, with hail and thunder forecast

There are currently 47 flood warnings and 169 flood alerts in place, although this is predicted to increase.
Although the weather has brightened up and temperatures remain mild at around 10-11C, forecasters expect hail, thunderstorms and snow showers to come.
Early rain will clear from eastern England today to leave most of the UK with spells of sunshine and downpours, which will be heaviest and most frequent in the West with the chance of hail and thunder.

 

A Met office spokesman said: 'A band of squally rain will push across the country this evening - with about 5-10mm falling overnight - and some thunder, hail and turbulent weather, especially in hilly areas.

Bad day for a stroll: Strong winds and a high tide on Blackpool's Central Prom

'There will be snow showers in Scotland going into Friday, with 20-30mm of rainfall.'
Saturday will be bright with cold weather and more snow showers in the north, which will move down the east coast as far as East Anglia. Sunday will be warmer, but with heavy rain.

Two men died after falling into the stormy sea off Torquay, Devon, over the last two days.
A member of Torbay lifeboat crew jumped into the chilly water at the harbour last night and pulled a man ashore, but he died despite resuscitation attempts
RNLI spokesman Colin Bower said weather conditions were extremely poor, with heavy seas whipped up by gale-force winds of around 70mph.
The man has not been named but Devon and Cornwall Police said his next of kin had been informed.

 

A combination of sunshine and showers hits the UK, with a bright Saturday giving way to a wet Sunday

 

 

Warning: Strong winds today may cause travel chaos while Friday will bring heavy rain and floods

Just 24 hours earlier, the body of a fisherman was found by rescuers searching for a boat that had gone missing off Torquay.
Rescue helicopter, RNLI lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and two Royal Navy vessels were involved in the search in gale-force winds.
Jeremy Linn from Brixham Coastguard said: 'He had been fishing for the afternoon and was coming home with a catch on board, which means he obviously had quite a lot of weight in the boat.
'It was not good weather - it was very windy, we'd had lots of rain and the sea state was rough - so it's a strong possibility that the boat was swamped in some way and sank.'
Torbay lifeboat Coxswain Mark Criddle said: 'It's very sad that two young men have lost their lives in this way.'
A Royal Mail lorry veered off a rural road near Broadmayne in Dorset yesterday and toppled into a ditch.
The vehicle is thought to have been hit by strong gusts of 35 miles per hour and blown over.
Ambulance crews raced to the scene to assist the 53-year-old male driver, but he escaped with no injuries.

Trapped indoors: The main road in the village of Holywell, Cambs, today after overnight flooding

 

Stranded: Heavy rain in the Cambridgeshire village caused the River Great Ouse to burst its banks

 

Soaked: The downpours and winds of up to 80mph left the road under more than 4ft of water

Police attended the incident on the A353 and closed the road as the lorry was towed away by a rescue company.

 

Charles Powell, forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'By midday, wind speeds were reaching up to 35 miles per hour and were in a south westerly direction.
'Gusts can reach roads at a perpendicular angle to the way the traffic travels, a high gusts can hit vehicles like lorries with impact and cause them to topple over.'
A homeowner had a lucky escape when a powerful gust of wind blew a skylight window out of her roof and sent it crashing down on her car.
The heavy 3ft x 2ft frame and glass flew over the house and landed on owner Katie Gregory's car three floors below.
It caused around £1,000 of damage to the wing and windscreen of her Citroen Picasso, but luckily no-one was injured.
Ms Gregory, 33, had opened the roof window slightly on Sunday to let some air into the attic bedroom of her terraced house in Dudley, West Mids.
The mother-of-two said: 'I was in the back of the house when I heard screaming round the front.
'I could see glass absolutely everywhere and looked out and saw my car was damaged.
'I thought something had fallen off a lorry going past and then saw the window and realised it was my skylight.

Bubbles: High winds cause sea foam to fly across the path of motorists in Cleveleys, Lancashire

 

Washout: A man in a hi-vis jacket looks out at the gathering clouds as the sea churns around his feet