By Chris Story

Last updated at 15:43, Friday, 13 July 2012

A lightning strike has caused an estimated £10,000 of damage to a charity’s Carlisle headquarters.

Mike Whelan

The building housing the city’s Samaritans branch on Botchergate was struck by a fork of lightning – blowing electrical equipment.

It left damage estimated at about £5,000 to the building’s lift system alone, as well as triggering fire alarms and affecting its CCTV system.

The lightning is thought to have struck the building’s chimney pot. People were working in the building at the time, but no-one was hurt when the strike happened, last Thursday afternoon.

Mike Whelan, director of Carlisle Samaritans, said: “Everyone was okay. They were just taken aback by the noise and the effect of the strike.”

Although there was some slight early disruption to one of the lines into Carlisle Samaritans as a result of the strike, the service from the city has continued to operate as normal.

First published at 14:06, Friday, 13 July 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk