Sutton upon Derwent: East Yorkshire village flooded like 'never' before

A couple say they have been left heartbroken after flood water swept through their home despite frantic efforts by neighbours to protect it.

Tony Hall and his wife Gillian, both aged 62, say the community in Sutton upon Derwent, in East Yorkshire, rallied round to sandbag their home and neighbouring properties on Tuesday night.

But the makeshift defences failed to stop water spilling off surrounding farmland and into properties following heavy rain.

Mr Hall said: "It happened so quickly. It didn't come through the doors, it came up through the floor, through the walls. There was nothing we could do."

The Halls and their neighbours on the village's main street were forced to leave their homes as flood waters rose.

Volunteers from the neighbouring village of Elvington joined the efforts to keep the water at bay and tried turning motorists round who created waves as they drove through the flooded main street.

The Halls stayed with friends overnight.

They returned on Wednesday to survey the damage, with the bungalow still under several inches of water.

Mrs Hall said: "I got home about three o'clock [on Tuesday] and the drive had loads of water on it and then the water came rapidly up. There was nothing we could do - it was just coming in everywhere.

"I don't know what to do. Contact the insurance people is the first thing. Take some more clothes to friends, check on our cat which is staying with friends."

Mr and Mrs Hall said they had not experienced such deep flooding in the five years they have lived in the village.

Stuart Mowbray, chairman of the village parish council, said the incident was unprecedented. He said vehicles travelling through the village had exacerbated the problem.

"As they're coming through they're causing water to wash up closer to the doors," he said.

"[It's] never been like this. We sometimes get a little water on the roads but nothing like this. Flood waters came up through the floors

"It'll take weeks and weeks for those properties to recover if not months. We feel a bit helpless frankly."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.