East Midlands flooding: Events cancelled and roads blocked

Firefighters had to rescue the three people from this car stuck in Rufford Ford, Nottinghamshire, on Saturday morning

Flooding is affecting roads and events across the East Midlands as heavy rains hit the region.

Firefighters and volunteers have had to rescue several drivers stuck in floodwaters, prompting warnings against driving.

Events including the Matlock Bath Illuminations and a Nottingham Forest match have had to be called off and some rivers have burst their banks.

But weather forecasters predicted the rain should ease up by Sunday.

This car park in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, has been submerged

Roads such as Slash Lane in Loughborough have become flooded overnight

This dog walk in Diseworth, Leicestershire, became a little bit more challenging

The Environment Agency helped residents put up these inflatable flood barriers in Woodborough, Nottinghamshire

A number of roads, including the A617 near Chesterfield, the same road near Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, the A52 in Ashbourne, Derbyshire and Slash Lane, Mountsorrel Lane and Barrow Road in Sileby, Leicestershire, are all flooded.

Despite this, emergency services have had to put out repeated warnings not to attempt to drive through floodwater and have been called out to rescue numerous stranded drivers.

Leicestershire Police have had to ask 4x4 drivers to stop removing their "road closed" signs on one flooded lane because other cars may not be able to pass even if they can.

Trains between Derby and Crewe are also suspended because of flooding on the track and the rain has also caused problems in the West Midlands and Wales.

But the weather outlook is improving for the East Midlands. The rain should stop in Derby at about 17:00 BST, at 18:00 in Nottingham and about 19:00 in Leicester, and Sunday should stay dry.