A MASSIVE clear-up operation is underway after a freak mini tornado caused widespread damage to a Manchester estate.

The huge gust cut a swathe of damage along a 100-metre area, smashing windows of homes, flattening lampposts and blowing garage roofs 35 feet into the air.

The mini tornado hit Alkrington, in Middleton, at 9.30pm on Friday night.

Firefighter Paul Wilcox, who was called to the scene from Blackley fire station, said: éI have never seen anything like it in my life before.

éAt first we thought there had been an explosion.é

Police said there were no reports of injuries.

The majority of damage was caused in two main sites - The Heath estate and Hardfield Road. Fire fighters were flooded with calls from worried residents.

Damage

A timber roof was blown off a row of ten domestic garages, breaking into three pieces - two of which were blown over houses, smashing windows and causing severe damage to sections of tiled roofs.

The third section of the roof was blown into a block of flats, knocking down a lamppost, sections of metal fencing and concrete posts. In Hardfield Road, a chimney stack and roof tiles were blown off two semi-detached houses.

Fire fighters said the force of the gust also peeled open three closed metal garage doors.

The roof of a garage attached to another house was blown into a house across the road and a series of garden sheds were destroyed.

A 25ft high tree was also uprooted and blown along the road.

Residents of the homes hit by the wind gathered in the streets, recording the damage on camcorders and mobile phone cameras.

Council workers were helping with the clean-up today and police sealed off areas of the estates.