Firefighters from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service came to the aid of a woman in Rothbury this month, after a roof collapsed under the weight of snow.
The fire service, along with the North East Ambulance Service and Northumbria Police responded to the 999 call, and removed the corrugated canopy roof of a smoking shelter attached to a pub in order to rescue the elderly woman who had been trapped by her legs. The woman was attended to by paramedics at the scene and taken to hospital by air ambulance.
The roof to the smoking shelter outside the Turks Head Hotel collapsed under the weight of snow that had accumulated on it. When the incident was reported, it was initially thought that three people were caught up in the collapse. However, a man and woman managed to get out of the way of the falling structure and escaped with only minor injuries.
In a statement, a Northumberland County Council spokeswoman said, “Severe weather conditions are presenting problems and dangers that people would not normally be faced with.” In addition, Victoria Barringtom, head of public protection at the council commented, “All businesses should assess the risks associated with excessive build-up of snow on temporary and semi-permanent structures. Where possible they should take steps to safely remove the snow, or alternatively restrict access.”
