'Freak' tornado rips through firm's yard in Eye, Suffolk

CCTV images have captured the moment it hit Filing Fortress in Horham Airfield, Eye, on Thursday (May 11).

Owner Stuart McBurney and his colleague Carl Stebbings were left in disbelief and managed to escape with only a small injury despite debris and sofas being whipped up in the whirlwind.

Mr McBurney said: "It just went crazy. There was so much dust kicked up that it was like the Sahara Desert.

"We were loading up the truck for a job in Norwich when all of a sudden it went really calm before the wind started to pick up.

"Seconds later it came right through us, ripping up furniture and mattresses, which we are still yet to find.

"It only lasted 30 seconds but it felt like a lifetime - time stood still."

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Stuart McBurney (L) with dad Mac McBurney (Image: Stuart McBurney)

The pair rushed inside the warehouse to avoid the carnage and were fortunate to not have been hurt badly.

"I couldn't believe it when we watched it back on CCTV, I've never seen anything like it in my life," added the 43-year-old.

"We were really lucky a piece of furniture or metal didn't hit us on our head.

"The tornado missed all the other units on the industrial estate and afterwards it went completely calm. It was a weird experience."

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The freak weather event has been identified as a non-mesocyclonic tornado and happened shortly before a thunderstorm intensified to the north, with lightning occurring ten minutes later, according to meteorologist Dan Holley.

It came after several days of heavy thunderstorms striking the region, prompting the Met Office to issue a number of yellow weather warnings.

Mr McBurney said: "I wonder if the lorry may have toppled over in the wind if the curtains were not open on the other side. It could have been much worse."