Thunder, lightning and lashing rain caused havoc across Worcestershire and a busy night for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.

Properties in Droitwich, Eckington, near Pershore, Leigh Sinton near Worcester, and Evesham, were all struck by lightning.

Just before 9pm two pumps from Droitwich were called to a house in Nuffield Drive in the town which had been struck.

Some damage was caused but luckily no fire broke out.

At 9.23pm firefighters received a call to say a semi-detached house in Hacketts Lane, Eckington, near Pershore, was on fire following a lightning strike.

Pumps from Worcester, Pershore, Tewkesbury and Upton were called and fought to extinguish a fire in the attic.

They managed to contain the flames and left the scene around midnight after fixing a temporary roof cover. Nextdoor neighbour Tom Roberts, aged 60, was watching television when the lightning struck. "There was a big crack and it went black and then my son came running down the stairs and said 'that was a big bang'," he said.

"He went back up the stairs and said there was smoke coming from next door's roof.

"It was quite scary as I haven't heard anything like that before - it was like a bomb dropping."

Calls came in about a house in Radford Road, Rous Lench, near Evesham, at 11.27pm.

A bolt of lightning had struck an electrical intake into the garage but the fire was extinguished before fire crews arrived.

Just before midnight it is believed lightning struck a barn at Leigh Court, Leigh, near Malvern, causing a fire. Firefighters were still there this morning keeping the flames under control. They managed to rescue the majority of farm equipment, but hay and straw were damaged.

No one was injured in any of the incidents.

Heavy downpours made driving conditions treacherous. Motorists on the M5 had to contend with surface water.