London Fire Brigade has declared a major incident in response to the volume of 999 calls being taken about Storm Eunice-related incidents.

Firefighters are having an exceptionally busy day as the storm causes chaos across the capital with winds of around 70mph.

The Brigade’s Control Room took 550 calls between 10.30am and 1pm today – which is more than the average number usually taken in a 24-hour period.

High-speed winds have left buildings and vehicles damaged, while the roof of the 02 Arena was torn to shreds.

For the latest storm Eunice updates, visit our live blog: Storm Eunice live

Video taken in Croydon, south London, shows people being blown off their feet and across the ground by violent gusts.

Severe travel disruption is being reported across the capital, as almost the entire London Underground network has either been suspended or hit with severe delays.

Declaring a major incident allows fire service to focus more of its resources on dealing with the havoc caused by the storm.

The high volume of calls has also prompted the brigade to reiterate its advice for people to only call 999 if there is an emergency or an immediate risk to life.

Control room officers have taken a number of unhelpful calls, including one about a tent which had blown into a neighbour’s garden.

Another caller rang to complain about a trampoline which was blowing around in the garden next door.

The fire service has been telling callers they need to contact their local council if a tree has fallen in the road or speak to their insurance company if one has fallen on their home or vehicle.

This is a breaking news story – more to follow.

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