"Going to the pub for a pint saved my life during the Manchester tornado"

A man whose street was damaged when the Greater Manchester tornado tore through his town has revealed how going to the pub for a pint 'saved his life.'

Euan Welsh, 21, was in Wetherspoons when 80mph winds swept through Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday (27/12).

Dozens of locals were advised to stay inside 'due to the severity of the damage caused and risk to public safety while at least 100 homes were damaged.

Shocking pictures show houses with gaping holes in their roofs while dozens of cars were battered by falling bricks, trees and debris.

Euan, who lives on Cherry Grove, has now told how not walking straight home from work and going to the pub instead may have saved his life.

He said: “I was in Wetherspoons when it happened.

"The windows from the Bistro next to it came in.

“I just finished work and I was going to walk home when I decided to go to the pub - so a pint saved my life possibly."

His dad Kevin Welsh, 57, added he had 'never experienced anything like this' since he moved into the property 36 years ago.

He said: "I was watching the Woman in Black when I heard all this noise outside.

“I've lived here for 36 years and never experienced anything like this.

"We do get strong winds but only in one direction, this was came from every direction and lasted all of one minute.”

Lyndsey Moody, 45, lives on nearby Hill Hough Road with her husband and two children and was one of the worst affected by the tornado.

She claims her son is lucky to be alive - as a chimney fell through the house and onto his bed.

Lyndsey said: "We had animals in the house - the dog, three cats and a turtle, when it hit.

"There was one in the front bedroom, a chimney fell through and almost killed my son - if he was in bed the chimney would've killed him."

She also said it took just 20 seconds for the tornado to tear her home apart and now she's been left with 'nothing.'

Lyndsey added: "After that it was still, nothing - now we have to deal with the aftermath.

"We had the photo albums in the loft, they are gone with the rest of it.

"Christmas presents, computers, the lot."

Jeffrey Sheehan, 68, was out walking his dog just ten minutes before the high winds struck.

He said it sounded like 'someone was throwing rocks at the window' and he saw a roof 'blowing past' his house.

Jeffrey said: “We had just got in from walking the dog, we put him to bed then not even 10 minutes later we heard this noise.

"My wife said it has just started to hailstone and I said ‘I was just out there, it must just be heavy rain.’

“Then, it was like someone was throwing rocks at the windows and there was this loud swoosh sound.

"We looked outside and there was a roof blowing past the window.

“It's nothing like I've ever experienced before.”

Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter has urged members of the public to 'avoid the area' because of the amount of debris on the road.

He said: “This incident has undoubtedly affected numerous people in the Stalybridge are