A large section of a two-year-old roof came crashing down from a three storey building on Sunday.

The roofing issues began on Thursday afternoon when severe gusts of wind tore away a section of felt and insulation from Hornbeam House in Buckhurst Hill.

With part of the damaged roof suspended over a bin store below and debris blown across the neighbourhood, Epping Forest District Council's Housing Repairs team were called in to make the building safe and cordon off the area.

After properties were checked for damage tenants were allowed to stay in their flats, with the council's emergency temporary accommodation team on standby in case it rained.

A roofing contractor removed the suspended section of roof covering on Friday morning and began to erect scaffolding to fix the roof properly.

Best laid plans went awry however when a large gust of wind took hold of the damaged roof on Sunday.

One Hornbeam House resident said: "On Sunday there was a big gust that caught a gap in the roof and it came off. I could hear it was windy and it sounded like it was flapping a bit.

"I was just phoning up the council about it when there was a big woosh. It crushed a concrete post in the garden."

While the tenant, who asked not to be named, appreciate the dangers of sending workers up onto the roof in the wind, she felt there was a degree of inevitability about the roof crashing down.

She added: "It wasn't made secure so it was obviously going to happen.

"It wasn't very safe. It could have been really dangerous."

A council spokesperson said the debris was being removed and permanent reinstatement works will begin as soon as scaffolding is completed and safety guardrails are fitted around the roof edges.

Adjacent flats blocks have been inspected and show no visual signs of damage.