Part of a roof collapsed at a train station just one year after it was rebuilt as part of a £44 million upgrade.

Two people suffered head injuries following the incident at Manchester Victoria, caused by heavy rain, shortly after 4pm yesterday.

The new roof was installed last year after the previous one was prone to leaks.

Manchester Victoria was named by the Department for Transport as the station most in need of urgent improvement in 2009.

A spokeswoman for Northern Rail, which manages the station, said: "Following heavy rain, an ETFE roof panel has come away over platforms one and two at Manchester Victoria station.

"Emergency services have attended to treat two customers with minor injuries. Contractors are now attending to repair and secure the roof.

"The station remains open, as do all platforms, with no disruption to services."

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A North West Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "There are two patients with head injuries, they have both gone in the same ambulance to Manchester Royal Infirmary.

"There is one ambulance and a hazard area response team."

She added that they were called to the scene at 4.14pm.

Some six million passengers use Manchester Victoria each year.

One commuter, Deborah Lord, 30, was drenched as she tried to get a train home to Littleborough, Greater Manchester - and spent her 25-minute journey in sodden clothes.

She said: "They had just opened the doors on the Stalybridge train and there were a couple of ladies waiting to get on, and then there was this massive bang, I saw it in the corner of my eye, and it fell probably 10 feet away from me.

"A big wave came over and soaked me and another lady I was stood with, waist down, and physically moved us, and we just stood there going 'I don't know what's happened'.

"I honestly thought the whole roof had come down because I just saw this flash in the corner of my eye."

She described seeing two people lying on the floor - including a man with a cut on his head.

"There was a poor lad stood there who just looked like he got out of the shower fully clothed," she added.