Nine refuse to leave flood site despite warning

The devastation at Billing Aquadrome, after it was evacuated for the fourth time this year

Nine people have refused to leave a flooded caravan site in Northamptonshire despite a major incident being declared by emergency services, the local council said.

West Northamptonshire Council leader Adam Brown said a small number had not vacated their homes, but about 1,000 people in total had been evacuated from the park.

He said 63 were being provided shelter at Lings Forum Leisure Centre, with another 43 in alternative accommodation.

Mr Brown said there were concerns rainfall on Wednesday could lead to more flooding, but agencies had been in discussions to prepare.

The leader of West Northamptonshire Council, Adam Brown, said nine people refused to leave Billing Aquadrome after the floods

Further up the River Nene, mobile home residents at Yarwell Mill, north of Oundle, have been advised to evacuate the area, following Environment Agency advice that water levels there have yet to peak.

North Northamptonshire Council said it had plans in place to offer shelter to residents should it be required.

Storm Bert has caused widespread disruption across the county with a number of flood warnings being issued - one of them "severe" at Billing Aquadrome, near Northampton.

Several roads have been closed and no services are stopping at Northampton Railway Station, after the tracks were completely flooded overnight into Monday.

Mr Brown said river levels in some cases were higher than the damaging floods in 1998, but defences mitigated the worst of what could have happened.

"In the aftermath... we can review what happened and what could be improved," he said.

"We will carry out analysis and work with government to see if we need to take further steps to increase resilience of local areas, because we know heavy rainfall and more severe weather events are coming more frequent.

"We are very conscious of the fact people want to see greater investment in our flood infrastructure."

Engineers are working to clean-up and repair flood-damaged tracks and signalling equipment, as well as hundreds of metres of cables

Repairs are currently under way at Northampton station.

Network Rail advised passengers the tracks would remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Andrew McGill, from London Northwestern, said rail replacement buses would operate.

Supt Steve Freeman, who is heading the response to the flooding through the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), said: "We are still treating this situation as a major incident.

"For the people being asked to evacuate their homes, I do not underestimate the impact this has and I'd like to thank everyone there for their cooperation, during what we know is a very worrying and upsetting time."