Heavy rain brings floods which close A1

Rain water running off drenched fields was blamed for the A1(M) flooding

Heavy rain brought flooding to north-east England, closing a motorway for much of Wednesday.

The A1(M) in County Durham was shut in both directions between Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield.

The road, which is the main route south from Newcastle to the rest of the region and most of England, finally reopened at about 18:00 BST.

Officials said the flooding was caused by the "sheer volume" of rain water running off nearby fields, rather than drainage problems.

National Highways said workers managed to clear the water with the help of fire crews.

The carriageway was inspected for damage before reopening and signs warning of the risk of skidding have been put along the affected section, a spokesperson said.

Cocker Beck Nature Reserve in Darlington was also flooded after the beck burst its banks

Trains between Darlington and Bishop Auckland were also cancelled on Wednesday morning.

In a post on social media, Northumberland county councillor Scott Dickinson said a number of roads in the Blyth area had been closed, with council teams and crews from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, Northern Powergrid and Northumbria Water at the scene.

The A1(M) was checked for damage after the water had been cleared

In South Shields, the A194 closed in both directions between the junctions with Hobson Way and Tyne Dock.

Northumbria Police worked with teams from South Tyneside Council to clear flood water.

South Eldon Street in South Shields was also closed

Roads were also shut across Darlington including parts of the A68 West Auckland Road.

Darlington Borough Council said Staindrop Road was closed just after Edgecombe Drive after Cocker Beck burst its banks, flooding the nature reserve.

Earlier, a yellow weather warning had been in place for Darlington, Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.