Storm Henk: Hundreds evacuated from holiday park as River Nene threatens homes at Billing Aquadrome

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from a riverside holiday park as Storm Henk threatens to overwhelm dozens of lodges and caravans.

Billing Aquadrome in Northamptonshire has been forced to use its flood sirens for the first time as it attempts to move around 1,000 residents and holidaymakers off the site.

Linda Page, who had spent the Christmas break at her son's lodge with her family, said the constant drone of the siren - which has been sounding for hours - brought back unwelcome memories.

"It's quite scary because it reminds us of the war," she said as she left the park on foot.

Storm Henk is expected to bring very strong winds to a significant area, with gusts of up to 60mph predicted in East Anglia, the south Midlands and the south of England.

An amber weather warning for wind has been issued by the Met Office as well as a yellow warning for rain.

In Northamptonshire, the Environment Agency put out a flood warning for the River Nene at Billing Aquadrome warning the heavy rain was falling on already-saturated ground.

Although the the river has yet to burst its banks, visitors reported seeing floodwater encroaching on the lawns of the holiday homes and water levels are expected to continue to increase.

Hundreds of people could be seen streaming, both in cars and on foot, from the entrance of the site at Great Billing near Northampton having packed up whatever they could.

Kyla Page said: "We don't know what to do. We haven't got any transport, it's flooding and we've got to evacuate from our home.

"We were just pottering around the lodge and all of a sudden we hear this noise and we go outside and there's an alarm on."

Linda Page added: "We've had to call somebody back from Aylesbury to come and pick us up because we couldn't wait in our lodge because we have to get out.

It's a bit traumatic to be honest. We've never been here before. It's taken the wind out of our sails, to be honest."

At the scene - ITV News Anglia reporter Matthew Hudson

The evacuation siren has been going for hours. Most people are leaving. Rain stopped for an hour at 2.45pm but is now back with a vengeance, plus the wind is now howling.

Staff and the Environment Agency are shoring up flood defences and ensuring drainage ditches are clear.

Police have been on site helping the elderly but there seems to be no plan as to where people should go.

Then it appears it's wait and see whether the Nene bursts its banks.

Richard Smith, 72, was making a swift exit in his car along with his young grandson. He has lived on site for three years but has never heard the sirens sounding except during tests.

Residents were warned on Monday that the evacuation could happen.

Leaflets were handed out by security staff and a post on Facebook asked people to be "ready and prepared" to leave.

But Mr Smith said, beyond that, they had been told very little.

"We haven't been told where to go. We're in limbo. People might be going to the hotels, I don't know.

"We're disappointed really. All that goes off is a siren which tells us to leave site. There's no back up plan, there's nothing else available."

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