VIOLENT thunderstorms left roads flooded and caused traffic delays across the region yesterday.

Lightning strikes were reported on a house in Stockton and several trees were hit in North Yorkshire - but it was Leeds that bore the brunt of the storm.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire fire service said it received 90 calls in 30 minutes when the storm reached Leeds.

Scores of householders in the Harehills area of the city were left counting the cost last night after a mini-tornado ripped off several roofs shortly after 3pm.

One resident said: "I've seen nothing like that before.

"I saw a kid get hit with a flying wheelie bin and there were tiles coming off roofs all over the place."

He added: "If that's not a tornado, I don't know what is."

The main problems in the North-East and North Yorkshire were flooded roads, as drains failed to cope with the torrential downpour.

Firefighters were called to a house in Biretta Close, Stockton, shortly before 5pm, to make a roof safe after it was struck by lightning.

Meanwhile, David Hall, landlord of the New Masons pub, in Shildon, County Durham, said he had managed to open despite the cellar, kitchen and part of the bar being flooded.

"We managed to get it all mopped up in time," he said.

Householders in Jubilee Road, Shildon, were hoping there would be no more rain after homes were flooded out nine years ago.

Last night, the water level had stopped short of the lowest lying house, but cars had to negotiate the road with care.