Family Flee: Flat roof blown off and smashed into cars below. Pic: © STV/Jamie Beatson
A family have been forced to flee their Perth home after part of the roof was blown off in high winds.
The family - understood to be a couple and a baby - were sleeping in their top floor flat of the Fiscal House building on Tay Street when the incident happened at around 12.30am on Friday.
High winds caused severe damage to the gable end of the building, blowing masonry onto a Vauxhall Corsa directly below.
Its owner, Gareth Coutts, told STV News that he and partner Claire Allison had been sleeping in a flat within the building when they heard a loud bang between midnight and 1am.
Police then called him to inform him his car had been destroyed.
Gareth said: "We are gutted - but at least we weren't in the car at the time. It isn't that old a building so you wouldn't expect this to happen."
No one was injured in the incident and the displaced family stayed with family and friends overnight.
Tay Street was closed off between Marshall Place and Canal Street - and diversions were put in place. However, the street re-opened shortly after 11am.
STV reporter Jamie Beatson, who is on the scene said: "These buildings are relatively new so it is surprising these are the ones affected.
"It's probably a good thing that this happned in the dead of night, as the place it happened overlooks the car park, which serves several offices - including the procurator fiscal service and the many flats inside.
"There is a large presence from the emergency services and Tay Street is closed off in part which is leading to travel disruption."
The flats are owned by Perthshire Housing Association.
Their housing services director, Garry Savage, said: "We have specialist contractors including a structural engineer on site this morning to ensure that all appropriate steps are taken to deal with this situation. We will also liaise closely with the Council’s Building Standards Team in taking all necessary steps to ensure that the situation is safe for our residents and other members of the public.
"We have contacted the residents directly affected by the section of damaged roof and will keep them and the other residents advised on the situation over the course of today and the weeks ahead."
A spokesman for Tayside Police said: "Quite significant traffic disruption will continue today in the city centre. Diversions are in place.
"The roof was ripped off quite a modern block of flats and damaged a number of cars. No-one was injured. There were very strong winds at the time.
"A fairly significant portion of the roof had been torn off."
Structural engineers are expected to examine the damage at the building later on Friday. They are expected to bring a cherry picker vehicle in to inspect the building - but that may be scuppered by continuing high winds.
Weather forecasters said it was a windy night across the country with winds in Perthshire reaching 45mph at 1am and 51mph at 2am.
The highest wind speed was 59mph in Scotland at 5am at South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
