Heavy rain floods East Midlands town's shops and streets

Shops, homes and streets in parts of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire have been flooded after storms brought heavy rain to the area.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across most of England on Wednesday.

While many areas remained dry, cloudbursts affected Beeston and 17mm (0.7in) of rain was recorded in nearby Loughborough in one hour.

Some shops were flooded and main roads were blocked.

The Nottinghamshire village of Ruddington was one of those badly affected.

Andy Heath, the landlord of The Frame Breakers pub, said: "Just what we needed on the High Street to add to the recent hardship for all the businesses.

"Hopefully no lasting damage and the community already out sweeping away from the shop fronts."

Residents in Loughborough, Leicestershire, said they had only just returned to their homes after floods earlier in the year.

Jessica Tickell, who lives in Oaklands Avenue, said there had been an "extraordinary community effort" to clear blocked drains and prevent water from entering homes.

She said they were "frantic" and "exhausted" and fearful of another night of rain.

Leicestershire Police said the road at Bull Head Street in Wigston was closed due to flooding.

In Beeston, BBC reporter Steve Beech said he had "never seen anything like it" in almost 20 years.

"It rained for perhaps half an hour but ferocious as can be," he said.

"Rainwater jumped out of gutters. Drains failed to cope.

"A lonely silver grey BMW stranded in a huge lake formed in one of the town's busiest streets, its driver in near tears at the side of the road."

He also witnessed workers at a closed Sainsbury's store with mops and buckets as they dealt with swathes of floodwater.

There was also reports of flooding in parts of Ilkeston and Cotmanhay, in Derbyshire.

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