By james art County Durham Passport Office has been forced to close after suffering damage from high winds over the weekend.
HM Passport Office on Freeman’s Place in Durham City confirmed the news with a sign taped to a barrier blocking the entrance to the building.
It comes after strong winds from Storm Ashley battered the region, which was under a yellow weather warning from the Met Office for maximum speeds of up to 55mph.
It is not known when the office will reopen.
The sign, seen by The Northern Echo, read: “Unfortunately, the Passport Office is currently closed to the public due to safety reasons beyond our control.
“Please contact the Passport Advice Line for questions about your passport application. We hope to reopen in due course.”
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The Home Office confirmed the closure, saying applications would still be processed.
A Home Office spokesman said: “Durham Passport Office was damaged by the high winds over the weekend and the building is currently closed for the safety of our staff and customers.
“We do not expect this to affect our ability to process standard passport applications.”