Warnings issued as Surrey's swollen rivers continue to rise

People have been warned to stay away from swollen rivers as the effects of torrential rain continue this weekend.

Surrey had 14 flood warnings and 25 alerts for most of Friday as rivers continued to rise.

Rivers including the Bourne, Mole and Thames were affected with areas of Chertsey, Laleham and Dorking at risk.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it had taken 20 flooding calls since Thursday and had been rescuing people in vehicles.

It posted a picture of a rescue on Friday and said: "Don't let this happen to you."

The Environment Agency said teams were on the ground activating flood defences, deploying temporary barriers and pumps and clearing blockages.

Rivers with flood warnings in place included the Chertsey Bourne, Hoe Stream, Colne Brook, Mole and Wey.

Two flood warnings were in place for the Thames - at Hamm Court and at Laleham - and three flood alerts.

Earlier, pictures were posted on social media of a narrowboat that had slipped its moorings and hit Sunbury Weir on the Thames.

A Surrey Fire and Rescue Service spokesman confirmed no-one was on board and no-one injured at about 08:50 GMT. Emergency teams used thermal imaging to carry out checks and recovered the boat before they left the scene.

Surrey Police said officers made the owner of the partially-submerged narrowboat aware.

Near Godalming, Rachel Watson, general manager of the Mill at Elstead, told BBC Radio Surrey the River Wey had left their driveway underwater with the car park inaccessible to vehicles. She said the building had not yet flooded but they were still likely to lose about £3,000 in revenue on Friday.

She said: "We had this on Tuesday night to Wednesday and then had 24 hours of it reducing and had the driveway back - and then overnight it's just gone again. I've got a little bit more space for the water to come up before we have to start worrying."

Later, Guildford Borough Council said the Wey had burst its banks in the town at the entrance to Millmead car park, adding: "Currently, you can still pass by car or on foot but take care as the river is running fast. If your vehicle is parked at the car park you may want to move it."

In Chertsey, Natalie McGhee of Eastworth Road, said the Bourne was "right up to my back door almost", adding: "We pretty much flood every January, but this is a particularly bad one this time."

Derek Bowman, who also lives next to the Bourne, said flooding was a regular concern.

He said not enough had been done to help the water flow through and riverbanks needed to be kept clear.

"They've scooped out the soil or silt at the bottom. That was done a few years ago. It quickly replaces," he said.

But he added: "I'm a pensioner. I'm not concerned. I have outbuildings that get flooded, I've lifted one up and the other one I can't lift up, because it's on solid foundations, but I'm used to it."

People living near the River Mole have said on social media that water is coming into houses despite flood defences and pumps being used.

The Environment Agency said Storm Henk had brought heavy rain to the wider River Mole catchment, causing the river to rise and water to spill out on to the floodplain close to the river.

A spokesman said: "We are monitoring river levels continuously and will update the flood warning for residents as the situation changes."

He said recent rain had led to widespread surface water flooding and river levels running high across the South East.

"Although the weather is now turning drier for the next few days, ongoing local impacts are possible on many rivers across the region over the weekend," he said.

"We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car."

Surrey was hit by severe floods 10 years ago when the Thames burst its banks.

The county council has said a range of measures have been put in place since then.

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