Parts of the roof landed in the nursery gardens

The roof at Michaelston Community College was blown about 50m (164ft) onto the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre before smashing into the ground.

Pupils at the college and the children's centre were sent home and nearby roads closed.

Pupil Jonathan Dickman, 13, said: "All I heard was a big crash. I looked outside and saw the roof come off."

Jonathan said he had been in a PE lesson when the fire alarm went off.

His stepfather Christopher Dickman, from Pentrebane, Cardiff, who was called by the school, said: "It's a brand new roof.

"I can't see how it's come off. The school was only up two-and-a-half years. They are lucky there was no-one outside the nursery," he said.

Debris was scattered around the school campus

Parents collecting their children said they had not been told how long the school would be closed for.

Pupil Rachel Legg, 11, from Ely, said the roof was blown off in her second lesson of the day, just before 1100 GMT.

She said: "Everyone was panicking, thinking there was a fire. Then a teacher came in and told us to sit down as there was an incident with the wind and we could not go outside."

Pupils were initially sent to the gym before it was deemed safe enough to leave the building.

Debris from the roof was scattered around the campus, though it is thought most of it had landed in the nursery garden.