Community members have raised over £5,700 for a New Quay nursery destroyed by Storm Darragh.

Cylch Meithrin nursery is perhaps one of the most tragic casualties of Storm Darragh, after its roof blew off in the ferocious winds of Friday and early Saturday 7 December.

A fundraiser which was set up the same day has since raised £5,705 to rebuild the nursery from 195 donations, close to their target of £6,200.

The fundraiser was set up by Brett Stones, whose three-year-old son attends the nursery.

Brett writes: “The roof of the Cylch Meithrin in New Quay was completely destroyed in the recent storm, leaving the little ones, their families, and the dedicated staff heartbroken.

“Any contribution, no matter how small, would make a tremendous difference in helping us support the children and staff as we work to rebuild during this challenging time.

“Thank you for taking the time to read this message and for any support you can provide.”

Dramatic footage circulating online shows roof insulation flying around with the wind, while the roof is slumped to one side of the single-story building.

Cylch leader Holly Beauchamp was “devastated” to announce the damage to the roof, adding the nursery would be closed “for the foreseeable”: “Please bear with us as we navigate through this difficult time.

“We will be in touch regarding childcare as soon as we know the extent of the damage.”

This comes as winds up to 90-mile-an-hour swept across the country, destroying buildings, felling trees and causing travel chaos as trains and buses were cancelled and a government order was issued to stay home.

Thousands were left with no electricity or phone signal, and heavy rain caused rivers, lakes and roads to flood.