Several caravans were destroyed or damaged as high winds swept through holiday parks last night.

One resident described a 'mini tornado' hitting a park in Eastchurch, on the Isle of Sheppey , where she has a holiday home.

She said the high winds hit the Sunnymead parks at Eastchurch Holiday Centre at about 8.30pm, with a tree falling on the roof of two caravans and tearing the roof off another.

At nearby Palm Tree Holiday Park, residents rallied round to help clean up this morning after two caravans were flipped over by the high winds.

A post on social media from the park management today said: "We’ve definitely had better Sundays at Palms. Woke up to a phone call about two caravans being smashed to pieces in the terrible wind we had last night.

"As I arrived my jaw dropped to see the two brand new 2020 caravan absolutely totalled. Checking round the park there is more and more damage, with trees down, broken windows and fences, etc.

"Within an hour of being on the park I was totally overwhelmed with the help and support of the residents on Palms, all out getting their hands dirty trying to clear this up so we can carry on trading today. Even had people offer to drive down from London to help. Everyone comes together in times of need and just gets on with it."

Julie Green, who lives in Gillingham, said her holiday home at Sunnymead had escaped damage but described the devastation elsewhere as a "complete nightmare".

Those with the damaged caravans had luckily not been home at the time, she added.

"It was like a mini tornado", she said.

"One poor woman arrived this morning to find a tree laying on top of her caravan. One of the trees had landed on top of two caravans and the wind had torn the roof off another one.

"You could tell it was windy because the caravan was rocking while I was inside. But it wasn't until I drove out this morning that I saw what it had done."

She said residents has lost power, which was not restored until this afternoon.

A post on Facebook from Eastchurch Holiday Centre said: "Due to the very high winds last night, there has been some damage. The maintenance men are going round and doing what they can."

Hundreds of people in the Eastchurch area were hit by power cuts last night and today.

Elsewhere last night, storms led to flooding in Tunbridge Wells , as shops were hit by heavy rain.

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