Car and cottage crushed by trees as Storm Franklin rips through UK

Two people had "a very lucky escape" after a tree crushed their car during Storm Franklin.

High winds have brought down trees and battered towns and cities across the region.

West Midlands Fire Service say they responded to a dozen weather related call-outs on Sunday (February 20) as Storm Franklin hit the West Midlands.

The service shared a picture of a crushed car in Sutton Coldfield, and said the driver and passenger had "a very lucky escape".

A tree also came crashing down through the thatched roof of a cottage in Leicestershire.

People were urged to stay clear of the incident on Hill Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where the tree was blocking the road.Crews from Ashby Fire Station were dispatched to the scene in the wake of the tree’s collapse, with teams remaining on-site while the tree and the cottage were made safe.

These aren't the first reports of near-misses over the past seven days, as the region was hit by Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice.

A tree fell onto a pub, a wall collapsed against a house and a car was crushed by a tree.

And now the region faces flooding, with a severe 'threat to life' warning issued as the River Severn is expected to flood "significantly".