POLICE have released a photograph of volunteer driver George Brown who died instantly after a tree crashed onto his hospice ambulance yesterday as hurricane winds pounded the region.

Tributes were paid last night to the 68-year-old - described as "selfless and loyal" - who had been a driver with Butterwick Hospice in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, for 12 years.

Mr Brown was on his way to Barnard Castle to collect patients from the Butterwick's facility at the Richardson Hospital.

The tree fell onto the minibus shortly after 3pm on the A688 near Dunhouse Quarry, between Staindrop and Barnard Castle.

Mr Brown, from High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, leaves a wife Mary, two children and three grandchildren.

The Met Office recorded gusts of 71mph as the remnants of Hurricane Katia swept the region.

The blustery conditions caused damage to buildings, triggered power cuts and caused travel disruption.

CE Electric UK, which provides power in the North-East, said it was working to restore power supply to about 10,000 properties.

During the day, train speed restrictions were put in place on the East Coast Mainline and West Coast Mainline.

Forecasters said the fastest recorded gust was 82mph in North Wales. However, Scotland saw the brunt of the bad weather with blustery showers continuing for much of the day and the bad weather set to continue today.

Mr Brown was travelling with fellow volunteer driver Peter Foster, 68, from Crook, who suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

There were no other passengers in the minibus at the time.

Speaking after the tragedy, Inspector Ed Turner of Durham Police urged all drivers to take extra care in the high winds.

Meanwhile, at Langley Moor, County Durham, the high winds tore the roof from a building under construction at Littleburn Industrial Estate which landed on 15 parked cars. No-one was injured.

Paying tribute to Mr Brown, chief executive of the Butterwick, Graham Leggatt-Chidgey, said: "This is a terrible tragedy for George's family, friends and colleagues. We have lost a selfless and loyal member of our team at the Butterwick, and his family has lost a husband, father and grandfather.

"George has been a volunteer driver since 1999 and was greatly respected by everyone who knew him. There is a deep sense of shock throughout the hospice team at this awful loss.

"We send his wife, Mary, and his family our deepest sympathy and our prayers and will support them in any way we can."

The road was closed in both directions between Cleatlam Back Lane and the B6279 Moor Road while investigations were carried out by police.

Any witnesses are urged to call Durham Police's accident investigation unit on 0345-60-60-365.