A TOT from Newport was terrified when torrential rain brought the ceiling of a fast food restaurant down on top of her yesterday.

McDonald's on Old Chepstow Road, Coldra, was closed for several hours after a sudden downpour collapsed part of the building's flat roof.

Three-year-old Kelsey Acreman was with mum, Gemma, 22, of Christchurch Road, Newport, and grandmother Heather Acreman yesterday afternoon at the time of the collapse.

The family was having lunch in the restaurant at around 3pm when the torrential rain started.

Gemma said: "Suddenly the roof above us started falling down and all the collected water and debris poured on top of us.

"We were absolutely soaked, as was all our food."

Shift manager Dan Reilly, 22, told the Argus the problem started when the backlog of water on the roof became too large to drain off properly.

He said: "Some got underneath the roof and started to collect above the ceiling tiles. They started bulging and then fell off."

He said about half the ceiling above the main eating area in the restaurant was affected as well as some areas of the kitchen ceiling and at the back of the store.

Mr Reilly said: "It was a shock. Even though something similar has happened here before, I wasn't there at the time.

"Luckily I turned the power straight off. I didn't want any customers or staff getting hurt."

No-one was injured - although there were some 40 customers in the restaurant when the roof collapsed.

But little Kelsey was frightened and shaken by the ordeal.

Downpours across Newport also closed McDonald's at Spytty when water started leaking through the roof, and Newport's Southern Distributor Road was flooded.

Trains on the Newport to Hereford route were delayed yesterday by the torrential rain after a driver reported water running down the embankment at Caerleon.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said the line was closed between 3pm and 3.45pm while experts investigated the report, which resulted in delays to services.