Blown away

Rubbish collections in Basildon have been delayed for a day after the Pitsea tip was closed by the Environment Agency.

The tip in Barling was also closed, but Cory collected rubbish and stored it at their own depot, intending to transfer it today.

Light aircraft were not flying from Southend Airport, and there were big queues leading up to the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in Dartford, as drivers slowed to adapt to the difficult conditions.

A spokesman for Basildon Council said doorstep glass collection had also been suspended, but that dry recycling was being collected as normal.

Mark Kerner, Cory Environ-mental's Southend contract operations manager, said: "The tips have been closed because of litter pollution. With all the best will in the world, our litter pickers can't control pieces of paper flying around at 40mph.

"We have had a few bags blow off from people's doorsteps into the roads, which we have dealt with pretty efficiently."

The roads were also blustery, with a sign on the A127 at the A130 blown to pieces.

One driver, Paul Daniel, 29, from Cobham Road, Westcliff, said he feared his car would be lifted by the high winds as he travelled to work in Basildon.

He said: "I thought my car was going to take off along the A127 because the winds were so strong.

"I pulled over into the slow lane because I thought it would be safer." One woman had to be rescued by firefighters when she slipped on a ladder as she tried to put up tarpaulins to protect her home in Estuary Gardens, Great Wakering, at about 2.45pm.

Although 50mph winds can cause havoc, they are still only officially classified as a strong breeze, in which large branches sway and umbrellas turn inside out.

To become a near gale, they would need to reach 51mph, and gale force winds - in which twigs break off trees - start at 62mph.

The wind is forecast to back off slightly in the next few days, with speeds of between 20-30mph expected.

*About 50 train passengers were evacuated after a tree fell onto an overhead power line and caught fire.

A dozen firefighters were called to tackle the blaze, near Stanford-le-Hope station, after the train driver managed to stop yards from the blazing tree and raise the alarm, at about 2pm yesterday.

Lee Markwick, sub officer for Orsett fire station, said: "The tree had fallen on to the line, where the electric cables had set it alight.

"We worked with the power company to isolate the power, then we set about extinguishing the blaze."

It took nearly two hours to make the area safe.

Mr Markwick said the passengers had been very lucky the driver was able to stop the train in time.

He said: "Luckily that particular piece of track is a long, straight one. If it wasn't, the driver may not have been able to see the fire and wouldn't have been able to bring it to a halt."

Buses replaced trains between Grays and Pitsea as engineers fixed the problem.

Services were running again by about 4.20pm, although some ran with fewer carriages.

At about 8am, a tree had fallen on a section of line between Westcliff and Southend Central stations, on the c2c line.

Trains continued to run between Leigh and London Fenchurch Street, but buses were laid on to replace services between Leigh and Shoebury.

People with pre-paid tickets were able to use them on One trains between Southend Victoria and Liverpool Street.

The tree was removed at 9.30am and Network Rail repaired the problem by 11am.

Graham Bashford, c2c spokesman, said: "We are aware many commuters had their journeys disrupted and we are sorry, but the high winds dislodged the trees. The only way to repair the problem safely was to suspend the service.

"We did everything we could to get the trains back working as quickly as possible."