'It just forced its way through' - Devon man rescued by boat as house hit by flood water

• Watch: Man returns to flooded home day after being rescued by boat

A man had to be rescued by boat after flood water trapped him inside his house near Axminster.

Ian Hunter was stuck inside his conservatory as flood water swept through Weycroft Bridge near Axminster on Monday 5 December.

The fire service took him to safety with a boat and he spent the night in a hotel.

Ian said he woke up to find water already pouring through his house.

"I couldn't believe how quickly the water rose," he said.

"It was coming through the sides of the front door, it just forced its way through. And then when the fire brigade came they opened the door and it just went through like a river, from the front to the back.

"I couldn't stand because the current was so strong. I was frightened of getting swept away by it.

"So I stayed sat where I was on a settee in the conservatory, up to my waist in freezing cold water.

"I just stayed there until the fire brigade came and they were marvellous, they got me upstairs, got me into dry clothes, got me into bed actually to warm up. I don't know where I'd be now if they hadn't come."

When he returned home to retrieve some possessions and survey the damage on Tuesday 5 December, he told ITV News West Country he is "devastated".

"I just don't know where I'm going to start to be honest," he said. "I never realised the force of water until I was sat in it."

• Watch moment Ian's dog is rescued from the flooded home

Much of Ian's furniture was fairly new and will have to be replaced. He hopes one day the house will be habitable again.

He said: "We've just got the place nice and comfortable. We've got a log fire here. All the logs have floated away.

"This is the second time we've had a flood in about six weeks. I just can't believe it. Just devastation everywhere."

The incident was one of more than 100 flooding-related calls fire crews received across Devon and Somerset on Monday 4 December.

Roads were blocked and cars were left stranded in flood water while some schools closed as more than a dozen flood alerts were issued.

Heavy rain has continued to cause issues across the region on Tuesday 5 December, with more schools closed and disruption on the rail and roads.