A TORNADO has left a wake of devastation after it ripped through a quiet Suffolk village.

A TORNADO has left a wake of devastation after it ripped through a quiet Suffolk village.

The freak twister tore through Great Livermere around 5pm yesterday, tearing up trees and destroying roofs.

Joyce Still scrambled to hide in her hall to avoid flying glass as the devastating weather was raging overhead.

“It was like a bomb had gone off,” she said. “It was really terrifying.

“The window smashed in and there was glass flying everywhere.”

In less than a minute, the twister left a huge trail of destruction, tearing down part of an historic forge at the heart of the village green.

Brian Hardman, 57, had just left the small cottage when the tornado brought the flint walls crashing down.

“There was an almighty roar then I heard all this banging and smashing,” he said. “It is heartbreaking to see the forge like this.”

Neighbours were today rallying to help each other as the massive clear-up operation began.

Tree branches and roof tiles still litter the floor as stunned villagers begin to take in the scale of the devastation.

Bill Dean, 69, said: “We were scared for our lives.

“Hopefully it is something you only experience once in a lifetime.”