The roof of a popular County Durham venue has blown off after winds of up to 75mph brought by Storm Otto continue to cause havoc across the region. 

Storm Otto has brought travel disruption and left thousands of homes without power as it makes its way across Northern England and Scotland.

The storm caused trains and flights to be cancelled on Friday morning, with three overturned lorries blocking traffic on the A1(M).

Read more: Whitley Bay Metro station closed as Storm Otto damages building

A Met Office weather warning for high winds is in place until 2pm for Yorkshire and north-east England, with the forecaster warning of power cuts, damage to buildings and potential injuries and danger to life from flying debris.

As well as causing disruption on the roads, the strong winds have caused the roof of The Big Club in Newton Aycliffe to blow off. 

The incident, which has been reported to the council and police, happened at around 10am and saw parts of the roof start to come away from the main frame of the venue.

People have been warned to stay away from the scene, with the roof expected to be fixed again soon. 

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A post from Newton Aycliffe Car Buyer on social media read: "Stay away from The Big Club rear car park. The roof has just come off and it's blowing all over."

The post caused panic in the local community - with people warning their loved ones not to travel near the building. 

The extreme weather seen in Storm Otto is expected to last for the major city of today, with the weather returning back to normal levels on Saturday (February 18).