STRONG winds have torn a roof from a string of flats in Swanscombe.

Police were called to The Parade at 8.30am this morning after reports that large sheets of roof were falling off the flats.

Kent Fire Service arrived at the scene at around 9.15am, and the road was closed at 9.30am.

Mother-of-two Angela Saward, who lives in one of the flats, called the police after she heard a “tremendous noise” around 8am.

The 46-year-old said: “The wind had been howling all night.

“I got up this morning and my 13-year-old went off to school.

“Then I was sat having a cup of tea with my husband and we heard a tremendous noise - I can’t tell you how loud it was.

“I looked outside the window and I could see the roof hanging outside the bedroom window.

“My husband went and had a look while I phoned the police and our landlord.

“He then started directing young women and their children across the road as they weren’t looking up so wouldn’t have seen what had happened.

“It was really frightening, and a shock to think your roof could just come off like that.”

She added: “The men have been doing a great job fixing it.

“At one point they had to lie flat on their stomachs because of the gusts of winds.

“I wouldn’t want to be up there.”

Her neighbour, Kevin Allsop, 42, heard the roof lift from the building. The father-of-two said: “I heard a bang early this morning.

“I got straight up to have a look out - it sounded like something had crashed into the wall below.

“The roof was lifting up and flipping.

“I was getting worried the wind would lift up our part of the roof.”

John Stewart of J.S. Builders arrived this morning to start repair work on the roof.

He said: “When I first arrived, the fire brigade were involved, along with the Highways Agency and health and safety.

“A third of the roof was overhanging the building, so we had to cut off that section.

“We’ve been putting on a temporary roof, sealing the joints to make it waterproof, because if it rained now, the water would go straight through.”

The road is still closed and motorists are advised to find an alternate route while repair work is ongoing.