THE Christmas break ended with a bang on Tuesday when Petersfield was battered by gales and heavy rain.

High winds, fallen trees and power cuts meant the first commute of 2012 was a difficult one for many workers and pupils around East Hampshire.

Rail commuters also faced minor delays as gusts of 60mph caused branches to fall on the line around Liss and Buriton.

For full story, see this week's Petersfield Herald.