Essex was battered by storm Barney as it swept across the county tonight. 

Essex firefighters had been called to more than 25 incidents as of 11.30pm. 

Two crews from Southend Fire Station were called at 8.30pm to London Road, Westcliff, to a large sheet of metal which was hanging off a roof over a pathway.

Crews taped off the surrounding area and used a triple extension ladder and tools to secure the sign. They made the area safe just after 9pm.

The service tweeted: "Our crews have also been called to incidents involving electricity poles/power cables down in roadways."

Leigh fire service described last night as 'crazy' as they attended an incident at 11pm last night in Theobalds Road, Leigh, where a roof of a block of flats had completely blown off and crashed onto the cars in the car park.

A spokeperson for Leigh fire crew said: "It was crazy. I have never seen anything like it in all my years. The whole of the flat roof had blown off in the wind and was covering three cars in the car park.

"The aerial eventually fell down and smashed the window of an apartment below.

"We couldn't deal with it so we just left."

Firefighters at Basildon dealt with an electric pylon that had fallen down at 10pm last night at Gardiners Lane North, Basildon.

They cornered off the area for three hours until workers from the electricity board turned up.

Emergency services were called after a fallen tree blocked a main road through Thundersley. 

The A13 Kiln Road is partially blocked due to fallen tree around The Dale.

The eastbound side of the road is closed to Bread and Cheese Hill near Seevic college.

A fence surrounding the Gloucester Gate development, in Broadhurst Place, Basildon. 

The metal fence was buckled by the strong winds and the concrete weights were moved. 

Brentwood Live:

Elsewhere in Essex, storm Barney has shut the QE2 bridge at the Dartford crossing due to strong winds and Essex Fire and Rescue Service is reporting several call outs due to damage - including in Westcliff. 

In the north of the county, Greater Anglia, which runs train services in and out of London Liverpool Street, reported and obstruction on the line near Colchester - stopping trains.