Llandudno,North Wales - Storm damage closes stores on Llandudno retail park

Published date: 11 December 2015 | 

Published by: Steve Craddock 
Read more articles by Steve Craddock Email reporter

Picture: @vocnorth 

PARTS of a major retail outlet were shut and buildings were damaged after storm conditions wreaked havoc over the weekend.

Fears of roof panels being lifted by heavy winds led to police cordoning off a space around Currys, Smyth’s Toy Store and Home Bargains at Mostyn Champneys Retail Park on Friday, December 4 before policing surrounding pavements from 11am on Saturday until midday Sunday.

Travel chaos was also caused across North Wales on Saturday and Sunday, with train services disrupted by the servere conditions and Llandudno’s swimming centre received some minor damage which did not affect the operation of the facility.

The manager of Smyths Toy Store in Llandudno, said: "It was just Home Bargains and Currys roof, it was unsafe for customers so police advised us to close for customer safety.

"Structural engineers came out and had a look and fixed it and that was it.

"It was the panels on the roof, they're made of tin - the wind got under them and started to lift them.

"Nothing was falling off, the police just made it safe. It was just done as a precaution."

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that an officer attended the retail park on December 4 after reports of dangerous conditions of a roof but no action was taken by the fire and rescue service as police had already cordoned off the affected area.

Jet Petrol Station in Mostyn Broadway, as well as part of the road, was closed by police from approximately midday on Saturday to 10.30am on Sunday due to concerns over a loosened side panel on the garage's canopy, caused by the winds.

Arriva Trains Wales services were held up from Llandudno Junction to Bangor on Saturday afternoon after a wooden shed blew onto the tracks.

The battering winds also caused the cancellation of the highly anticipated Llandudno Christmas Parade and Conwy’s torch lit parade went ahead but was scaled down.

A spokesperson for Conwy County Borough Council said that there were no reports of major flooding, but sandbags and pumps were required at a number of locations across the county and the council response team was called to a variety of other incidents including snapped lamp columns, traffic light heads blown off, dangerous Christmas decorative lighting and windblown trees.

see-http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/156040/storm-damage-closes-stores-on-llandudno-retail-park.aspx