Chimney of three-storey building collapses in Preston as firefighters rush to scene

Crews from Bamber Bridge, along with the aerial ladder platform from Blackpool, attended the scene at around 1.20pm.

Firefighters made the structure safe by dismantling the rest of the chimney stack using "small tools".

Shocking pictures from the scene show large pieces of masonry had fallen from the roof and onto the pavement.

One eyewitness said it was a "miracle no one was injured".

"You would've needed more than a plaster if that had hit you," they added.

Firefighters were at the scene for around three-and-a-half hours.

A yellow weather warning, which covered the whole of England and Wales, came into force at 9pm yesterday (March 10) and lasted until 3pm today.

Gusts of up to 70mph were expected on coastal areas and hills, with winds of up to 55mph predicted inland.

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