A wind turbine near Peterborough has been switched off after its frozen blades threw off shards of ice.

It is being said that residents in the vicinity of the 2.3MW-rated turbine on the outskirts of Whittlesey, near Peterborough, complained at "shards of ice" being thrown off or even crashing into their homes. Post this, Cornwall Light and Power turned off the machine.

According to local media, the residents aren't happy with the fact that the £2million turbine, which stands 125-metres high, was erected so close to buildings.

For its part, the company is working with its turbine manufacturer Nordex to ensure it does not happen again.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Light and Power said: "Following reports of ice shedding on Saturday, we shut down our wind turbine at Whittlesey. Our people have visited the site and nearby residents, and we have agreed that the turbine will not generate until we are fully satisfied that there is no risk of ice shedding."

Turbine expert John Stoneman, of Cambridgeshire Environmental Wildlife Protection, expressed concern at the incident. "The blades revolve at 200mph and those ice shards become projectiles. They would certainly kill someone if they hit someone," he told bbc.co.uk.

Whittlesey county councillor Ronald Speechley said: "It's worrying. Ice froze on the blades and, when it started moving, it started throwing it all over. It could be very dangerous."