AN HISTORIC beam in Poole has been damaged after it came down in the wind during Storm Freya at the weekend.

The Grade II listed 'town beam' is situated outside the front of Poole Quay’s Custom House.

According to Historic England, it is described as a “cruciform post and cross bar with diagonal braces and horizontal iron tie with eye holes each end” and is an "historically important survival."

Mike Morris, senior property manager for Borough of Poole, said: “The area has been cordoned and we have recovered the beam from the Quay. We will be carrying out an inspection before we look to repair and put the beam back in position.

He added: “The beam was last repaired in 1948 and stands on the site of a much earlier structure, which was used for hundreds of years to publicly weigh and measure goods entering the town.’’