A COUPLE were lucky to be alive after winds ripped the roof from their home.

John Sanderson was asleep in the upstairs bedroom when the ceiling caved in and he was covered in debris.

Fortunately, he escaped with only minor injuries but was panic-stricken as he searched for wife Brenda - not realising she had gone downstairs to stop dustbins blowing about in the backyard.

She in turn watched in horror as the roof was torn off at 6.15am on Saturday, landing on a house at the end of Cold Knott Cottages in Crook, County Durham.

Their niece Alison Butterfield, 36, who lives next door with partner Steven Lonsdale, 30, said: "Uncle John was in bed and the roof came down on top of him.

"He was worried when he could not find his wife. They are both in their sixties and you can imagine what it was like for them.

"The electricity went out and there was this tremendous gust of wind."

Mr Sanderson was taken to hospital but was released after treatment.

The row of cottages in West Road are part of the Askwith Farm Estate.

Graham Askwith, 42, said: "We were trying to empty the houses in the pitch black and there were tiles and debris flying everywhere. Compared to the tsunami, this is minor and at least we all still have each other."