TREES were brought down and buildings damaged this week as strong winds and heavy rain buffeted North Suffolk, causing disruption for motorists and rail travellers.

The problems forced police to close Battery Green Road in Lowestoft at 9.20am yesterday.

'We received reports that the roof of the old Lowestoft Ice factory in Battery Green Road was unsafe, with the metal sheeting flying off the roof and down into the road,' a police spokesman said.

A local resident initally cleared three pieces of sheeting and police were alerted. But with the road closed to traffic, big tailbacks built up around the town until it was reopened at 10.15am.

Meanwhile, police and highways workers were kept busy yesterday dealing with a 'really big tree', which was blown down in Flixton Road, Blundeston, between Flixton and Blundeston Prison turn-off, at 7.15am.

No one was hurt in the incident, but the road was closed to traffic until at 9am.

The tree also brought down a electricty cable, leaving people in Somerleyton temporarily without power.

Police were also called to the A1095 Halesworth Road near Reydon about 9am yesterday, when another large tree was felled, blocking the road. A group of 10 people later moved the tree to allow traffic to pass.

Earlier in the week, there were problems for rail travellers when a fallen tree at Oulton Broad South caused delays of up to 45 minutes on the Lowestoft-Ipswich line on Monday evening.

Journal reader Peter Boon, of Oulton Broad, captured this image of the treacherous sea conditions around Lowestoft Harbour at about 10.30am on Monday morning.

'Gale force winds had just reached the Lowestoft area and had stirred up tremendous seas,' he said.

'I had great difficulty standing up while taking these photographs. The power of the wind made me feel that I could be just blown away if I wasn't careful.'