Firefighters called to three vehicles trapped in flood

Five crews attended to help drivers and passengers who became trapped in their vehicles

Firefighters have helped rescue three people from vehicles that became stranded in flood water that was 5ft (1.5m) deep.

Essex County Fire & Rescue Service said one person was rescued from a van and two older people were rescued from their car at Buttsbury Wash near Billericay.

A third vehicle, a car, was found floating but with no-one inside.

The service said five crews, including one based more than 30 miles away in Colchester, attended on Monday.

Station manager Toby Ingham said resources were not available for other emergencies

Buttsbury Wash, beside the River Wid, is a flooding hotspot and yellow weather warnings have been in place for southern England because of heavy rainfall.

Fire service station manager Toby Ingham said all drivers should turn their cars around if they see any flood water.

"It's not worth taking the risk," he said.

"We have had to use a number of officers, crews and specialist units to assist at the scene, all resources which have been tied up and not available to other emergencies."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story idea for us, get in touch via [e-mail]