PARTS of Boscombe's ill-fated surf reef are believed to have washed ashore in Southbourne after Storm Brian hit Dorset on Saturday.

The discovery was made on Sunday morning by walkers who spotted scraps suspected to be part of the reef in the surf.

The £3.2 million structure, which has not been in use for several years, is made up of large sand-filled geotextile containers.

Aaron Le Arn, who sent images of the debris to the Daily Echo, said: "I've body-boarded it before, so I know the texture and look of the reef.

"A good portion of it has washed ashore."

During the storm, the coastline was hit with strong gusts of wind reaching between 50 miles per hour and 70mph, which caused sea walls to be breached at high tide.

The river at Tuckton also burst its banks as the weather repeatedly veered between blue skies and heavy squalls.

Queens Park Avenue in Bournemouth was closed between the Fiveways Roundabout and Howard Road between Saturday and Sunday afternoon over fears an "unsafe" tree would fall.

A spokesperson from Bournemouth council said the "unstable tree" on private property was overhanging the road.

Weather conditions meant staff were unable to fell the tree until Sunday.

In Poole, residents were warned to take action between 11am and 1pm after a flood warning was issued at West Quay and Lower Hamworthy Quay.

The red warning was given by the Environment Agency. Yellow warnings, meaning possible flooding, were issued for Christchurch and Wareham during similar timeframes.

During the morning, a number of motorists parked at Poole's Harbourside car park to watch waves break.

David Browning, who lives in Hamworthy, said: "The wind is very strong indeed - I had trouble opening my car door because it's very exposed here.

"I always like to come and watch the waves when it's stormy."

Train travellers faced troubles on the rails.

Services between Weymouth and Waterloo started and terminated at Bournemouth as a result of the storm, meaning those destined for Weymouth, Dorchester, Wareham, Hamworthy, Poole, Parkstone and Branksome faced difficult onward journeys.

Bosses at Condor Ferries also cancelled trips from Poole.

Motorists were warned to take particular care on the roads during the weekend.

Tia Howarth, Highways England operations manager, said: “In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down and avoid using exposed sections of road if possible.”

The weather remained blustery on Saturday night before winds calmed on Sunday.

Environmental campaigners say Storm Brian washed a "lake" of cigarette butts and plastic onto Bournemouth's beaches during the weekend.

John Hourston, founder of the Blue Planet Society, photographed marine debris close to Boscombe Pier.

He said: "Bournemouth is sheltered by Portland and the Isle of Purbeck - places on the Atlantic coast in Cornwall and Devon have an even bigger problem.

"It's always bad after a storm in Bournemouth though.

"The weather will have brought some of this rubbish down the Channel from the Atlantic."

He said his photographs show just one area of the Dorset coastline.

"This will have happened all over," he said.

"The winter storms also often reveal cheap plastic toys left behind and buried in the sand during the summer months.

"One one day, I counted 15 plastic toys. It was the winter but it made the beach almost look as it does during the August bank holiday."

Forecasters predict the weather will be mostly grey and wet on Monday and Tuesday, with widespread hill fog likely, especially in the southwest.

It will be drier and brighter on Wednesday, with sunny spells.