STRONG wind and rain has battered Northumberland and parts of the North-East.

It comes as a red 'risk to life' weather warning is in place due to Storm Arwen.

Many people across the county are still without power.

There is also widespread travel disruption due to falling trees and debris on roads. Some train and bus services are also affected by short notice cancellations or delays.

Damage to buildings has also been reported.

The extreme weather, which has seen snow in some areas, has also seen some Christmas festivities cancelled.

"Our teams have been out through the night", said Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service. "We are aware of damage that has been caused due to Storm Arwen.

"Please bear with us whilst we continue through the morning to reach those areas that need support." The service said it had received over 100 calls in five hours last night.

Northumbria Police said: "There are number of closures and partially blocked roads throughout the region. Please, be patient as we try and clear them and allow extra time for diversions and delays."

"We're seeing significant damage to our power network as Storm Arwen batters the region", said Northern Powergrid. "Severe gales, which started around 6pm yesterday, have caused power cuts for more than 55,000 customer, predominately in Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne & Wear area."

A car crashed into a fallen tree in Prudhoe.

"Shortly after 6.10am on November 27, we received a report that a car had collided with a fallen tree on Princess Way, Prudhoe", said a Northumbria Police spokeswoman. "Fortunately, no one was injured and the tree was subsequently removed."