WEATHER experts last night said it was entirely possible a freak storm in a North-East town could have been a tornado.

Eyewitnesses in Darlington reported seeing a tornado sweeping over the town on Thursday, after sudden storms broke.

Last night, meteorologists told The Northern Echo the conditions were "right for a tornado", but that it was more likely to have been a funnel cloud.

Weather radar pictures show a "cell of activity" over Darlington, which experts said was intense enough for a tornado.

However, it was thought to be a funnel cloud because reports did not confirm that it touched the ground - a key difference between a tornado and funnel cloud.

The twister sparked fears of a repeat of the Birmingham tornado two weeks ago, which left 18 people injured and caused mayhem in the city.

Weeks earlier, a 74-year-old man was knocked unconscious when a tornado ripped through a caravan park in Exelby, near Bedale, North Yorkshire.

Although Thursday night's events caused no damage, witnesses said they were concerned.

Andrew Gregory, 28, saw the funnel from his home in the Cockerton area of town and filmed it on his mobile phone.

"It was quite surreal - I was stunned," he said. "It's not often you see something like that.

"I watched for five minutes and you could see the funnel clearly. I'm not sure if it touched the ground, I couldn't see for the houses.

"It was just above the roofs in the distance, hovering in the sky."

However, experts were cautious about calling it a tornado.

Stephen Davenport, a meteorologist at the PA Weather Centre, said: "Our radar shows a big cell of activity heading from west to east over Darlington.

"However, the essential factor is that a funnel cloud is a tornado-like vortex which does not touch the ground. So unless there are reports or pictures of ground contact then it would, although related to a tornado, have to be described as a funnel cloud."

Steve Smith, of the Met Office, said: "I would not be surprised if there was one - there were certainly some heavy showers and thunderstorms around on Thursday night.

"When I was forecasting on Wednesday, it was in the back of my mind that the conditions were right for such things. It is quite possible that it did happen."