Northwich residents evacuated as marina floods due to Storm Henk

A couple had to be evacuated by fire crews from their narrowboat after river levels rose to dangerous levels overnight following Storm Henk.

They were among dozens of residents of Northwich Marina, Cheshire, who were told to leave their homes at around 5am on 3 January as a precautionary measure following flood warnings.

Heather Gregory, and her husband Tony, were told on the evening of 2 January to prepare a bag in case they needed to evacuate their narrowboat.

She said: "We got a message from our manager saying get a grab bag ready, and then 5 o'clock this morning she came down the marina saying 'get ready, got to get off!'"

Tony has a heart condition and was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, meaning he was unable to make his own way off of the boat.

Heather said: "The fire brigade carried Tony in the wheelchair through the water, and then the other one gave me a piggyback across."

Since being evacuated, Heather and Tony have been keeping warm at a nearby leisure centre, but are unsure where they'll be sleeping tonight, or how long it will be until they are allowed back on their boat.

Heather said: "The council's having another meeting, and if we have to go somewhere they'll send us to a Premier Inn."

Cheshire Police say they expect water levels to go down now that the storm has passed, and hope residents will be able to return to their boats this evening.

However, to protect against further flooding defences have been put in place - causing parts of London Road to be closed.

More flood warnings have been put in place across Cheshire in the wake of Storm Henk.

While they might not know when they'll be allowed back to the Marina, Heather and Tony are not letting the floods dampen their spirits.

Heather said: "You have to be adventurous, that's just part of being on a boat!"

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