Clean-up as water levels fall

Large parts of Shropshire and Mid Wales were still under water today as home and business owners were starting the big clean-up operation.

Frankwell Main and Frankwell Riverside car parks, in Shrewsbury, remained underwater and closed today, while barriers stayed up in the town and also went up in Ironbridge as water neared peak levels.

But the barriers in Ironbridge failed to prevent flood water gushing into The Boat Inn at Jackfield for the second time in two years

Staff and management were forced to grab what they could and flee.

Licensee Jenny Chamberlain Alexander said she was "heartbroken" after the pub was hit by the weather again.

She had spent the day clearing the ground floor of furniture and belongings, but she said that the warnings had not come soon enough.

"This time we knew what to expect and have moved everything," she said.

"I knew when I looked out of the window first thing that we were going to have problems but the flood watch didn't become a flood warning until 7.30am.

"We spent the entire day working with the removals company to get everything to safety. It has been really hard work."

"It is heartbreaking seeing the water come up through the tiles on the floor and knowing that we are going to have to leave then return in the morning to all the mess.

"But we get such a lot of help and support from our friends and the community and, to be fair, when it isn't flooding it is beautiful here.

"We were very lucky to escape flooding in January this year. The flooding has come early this season but it is here and there is nothing that we can do about it."

Elsewhere across the country, two homes were damaged after being struck by lightning during an overnight storm in south east England.

A house in Framfield, East Sussex, suffered a collapsed chimney while another property in Rottingdean, near Brighton, was left with a hole in its roof.

But there was just one flood warning in force in flood-hit Cumbria today as drier weather saw the county's alert status relax.

People hit by last week's deluge have been able to start proper clean-ups after an end to the heavy rain that has caused so much misery since last week.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to do everything in the Government's power to help those hit by flooding in the county.

Gordon Brown said it was a "terrible time" for people whose homes were devastated by the rising river waters and said ministers were examining the provision of a temporary bridge to ease travel problems in the area.