Derbyshire man still waiting to return to tornado-ravaged home

William Sitch was left stunned when he saw his home had been hit by the twister, which tore through Catherine Street, Alfreton, last October.

Three months on, a tarpaulin is covering the ravaged roof and William is living out of a suitcase while his insurance company and surveyors work to resolve the situation.

William said building work should start soon and he hopes to move back into his home possibly by Easter.

He said: “I was offered rented accommodation at the start, but decided to spend the time with family and friends.

“As Christmas approached, people would ask if I’d got my decorations up yet, which has an obvious answer.

“Over Christmas I’ve been travelling about a lot more than I would normally like.

“During my normal working day, it has added about 25 miles to my commute.”

He added: “A big problem is having all of my belongings in storage.

“If I want to read a book, play a CD or put on my winter coat, I can’t get at them.

“It’s an inconvenience but just one of those things.”

The tornado left a trail of devastation as it travelled down the street, damaging several properties and cars and uprooting a number of trees.

Thousands of pounds worth of damage were caused by the freak weather.

At the time, senior firefighter Dean Gazzard, station manager at Alfreton, said: “It’s a miracle nobody was seriously injured or killed in this incident.”