High winds caused chaos in parts of Essex at the weekend - and at Braintree a car park closure hit trade.

The B & Q car park in Braintree was closed on Saturday afternoon when gusts lifted corrugated sheets from the building site of the new Freeport leisure centre, which were swept by the wind as far as the A120.

Essex Police issued a warning to drivers to be extra vigilant and to avoid the area until the wind dropped.

No-one was injured but stores at the Chapel Hill business park suffered a downturn in trade. B & Q manager, Darren Leatherbarrow, said the car park closure had taken its toll on trade and at neighbouring American Golf Discount store, customers were down to two when there are normally more than 20, said manager Nick Tait.

Slates also came off Braintree's Barclays Bank building and landed on the zebra crossing in Rayne Road, and a marquee broke free of the ropes holding it down in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, on Saturday.

A tree came down in Bulmer and there were branches across the roads in Greenstead Green, the Hedinghams and Halstead.

A woman shopper's head was gashed open in a freak accident in Colchester.

She was walking along Culver Street West, near Debenhams, when a piece of Perspex fell from a street light and hit her on the head.

The woman was taken to Colchester General Hospital after the accident, which happened at about 3pm on Saturday, in front of horrified shoppers.

Acting Inspector Steve Johnson, of Colchester police, said: "She suffered a gash to her head. We cordoned it off within walking distance for safety's sake before people from the council attended."

Published Monday, March 11, 2002