Owners urged to secure trampolines after Storm Eleanor blows them onto roads and railway lines

Storm Eleanor may have blown through large parts of the UK, but its effects will be long-lasting for many people.
A trampoline was deposited by Storm Eleanor outside The Glen Primary Care Centre in Glen Street, Hebburn. Pic: Twitter/@pmahebburn.A trampoline was deposited by Storm Eleanor outside The Glen Primary Care Centre in Glen Street, Hebburn. Pic: Twitter/@pmahebburn.
A trampoline was deposited by Storm Eleanor outside The Glen Primary Care Centre in Glen Street, Hebburn. Pic: Twitter/@pmahebburn.

Not everywhere has suffered damage and flooding though - in some places the gale force winds simply deposited things where they don't belong - like trampolines.

One Twitter user, Paul Armstrong, tweeted: "Did anyone in Hebburn lose a trampoline during last night's storm? It's outside the doctors."

A photo issued by Network Rail of a trampoline which was blown on to the railway in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.A photo issued by Network Rail of a trampoline which was blown on to the railway in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
A photo issued by Network Rail of a trampoline which was blown on to the railway in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
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His picture showed a trampoline which had been whipped out of someone's garden by 80mph gusts and deposited in the street outside The Glen Primary Care Centre in Glen Street, Hebburn.

But while some people will see the funny side, and trampolines in unusual locations make for great pictures on social media, there is a serious side to it too.

For example, people living next to railway lines are being urged to secure outdoor belongings after two trampolines were blown on to tracks by Storm Eleanor.

The trampolines were discovered by train crews near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on Tuesday night.

A picture taken with permission from the Twitter feed of @rbarraclough23 of a trampoline in the road in Brigg, North Lincolnshire.A picture taken with permission from the Twitter feed of @rbarraclough23 of a trampoline in the road in Brigg, North Lincolnshire.
A picture taken with permission from the Twitter feed of @rbarraclough23 of a trampoline in the road in Brigg, North Lincolnshire.
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Mark Killick, chief operating officer for Network Rail's London North Western route, said: "It is incredible to think that a trampoline could fly through the air on to the railway, but here we have not one but two at the same location.

"This is an ongoing problem for us, which poses an obvious safety hazard and inconvenience to passengers.

"We would appeal to people living by the railway to ensure items such as trampolines, gazebos, marquees and tents are tethered, so they don't end up on the railway during high winds."

It is not the first time Network Rail has been forced to issue a plea about trampolines.

A photo of a trampoline which has been blown away in Leeds. Pic: PA.A photo of a trampoline which has been blown away in Leeds. Pic: PA.
A photo of a trampoline which has been blown away in Leeds. Pic: PA.
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During Storm Doris in February last year, it reported that it had to remove a number of items from the railway, including trampolines, garden sheds and a child's pop-up tent.

A number of other trampolines were also caught in the high winds, with several photos posted on social media.

Twitter user Ashleigh from Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, described how a trampoline bought as a Christmas present for her son was taken by the wind despite being "held down by all sorts of equipment".

She wrote: "Devastating scenes! Brand new 12ft trampoline flew over our 10ft gate. Completely destroyed and took 10 neighbours to get it back into our garden!

A photo issued by Network Rail of a trampoline which was blown on to the railway in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.A photo issued by Network Rail of a trampoline which was blown on to the railway in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
A photo issued by Network Rail of a trampoline which was blown on to the railway in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
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"While bringing it back in it was lifting us all off the ground with it! Stay safe folks, just glad no one got hurt." She added that her son was "very upset".

Kerry Hurst from Essex posted a picture of an upturned trampoline in a garden with the caption: "RIP trampoline. This wasn't fun to dismantle in 70mph winds at 3am. It took up too much of my garden anyway."