Flash floods trap cars and stretch fire crews

Fire crews said they were "inundated with calls" amid flash floods caused by heavy rain.

Cleveland Fire Brigade said there had been flooding in several areas across Redcar and Cleveland on Wednesday.

One resident in Easington described how cars had been trapped between impassable roads.

The Met Office said Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire saw 58mm (2.3in) of rain in 24 hours, while warning more wet weather was on the way.

Several flood alerts were issued for Redcar and Cleveland on Wednesday, with areas most at risk being riverside footpaths and low lying land and roads.

Easington resident Pav Lawless said the area experienced a "major downpour".

"We're pretty rural right here and it [the rain] just rolls down the road and collects at the bottom of the road.

"It's about three feet deep," he said.

He described seeing pieces of tarmac floating in the water as it swept along the street.

"It was quite a shock to see that," he said, adding: "Traffic at the bottom of the lane was stopping, turning around trying to find a new route."

Some cars had been trapped on the roads between the two points which had flooded, Mr Lawless said.

Cat Nab car park in Saltburn was flooded, with onlookers describing how a drain seemed to have "erupted through the ground."

A resident of Boosbeck described the flooding as "dreadful", but added the roads around them had reopened by Wednesday evening.

The floodgates at Skinningrove were closed on Wednesday, while Loftus Town Council handed out sandbags to residents.

The Met Office had warned of further flooding and possible disruption to travel on Thursday.

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