Nine cows killed as storm brings down power cable

Nine cows have been killed after a power cable came down at a west Cornwall farm during Storm Darragh.

The livestock were sheltering under a hedge at Higher Bojewyan near Pendeen on Saturday night, said the farmer.

Fallen power cables and trees closed a number of roads in Cornwall during the storm which brought winds of 67mph (107km/h) to the area.

National Grid engineers have been at the scene and the farmer said he was unable to go anywhere near the field as it was too dangerous.

Eric Murley, who farms Higher Bojewyan with his wife and three sons, said: "The wind last night was as bad as it's ever been, absolutely horrible."

"It looks as though the cows were sheltering under a hedge and it just so happened that this cable was right above them.

"It came down across them and that was that."

The deaths of the animals comes just a month after the family lost 32 Jersey in calf heifers to tuberculosis.

Wind gusts of 67mph (107km/h) were recorded on the Isles of Scilly off the west of Cornwall during the storm on Saturday.

The storm is still bringing disruption to travellers in the South West and more than 17,000 properties are still without power in Cornwall.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said there were no services between Plymouth and Penzance until at least 16:00 GMT.

A yellow warning for wind remains in force across Cornwall and much of England and Wales, meaning further disruption is likely.

The BBC has approached National Grid for comment.

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