Bedford roads flooded after heavy downpour

Water quickly filled up Denmark Street in Bedford

Heavy rain caused flooding and made some roads difficult to pass in Bedford.

Bedfordshire Police said it was "aware of flooding in some areas" and it was experiencing a "record high volume of calls".

A sudden downpour at about 18:00 BST meant the drains were unable to cope with the deluge and roads quickly filled with water.

One resident tried to pump water down a drain using a pipe.

A Bedford resident used his own initiative to try and get the water to flow away

Bedfordshire Police said: "We're experiencing a record high volume of calls coming through to our control room this evening, and we're asking for your support in adopting one of our alternative contact pathways if the reason for you engaging with us is not an emergency.

"We've also been made aware of flooding in some areas, and understand that this may cause delays to road users.

"Please contact local authorities directly if accessing your area is proving difficult."

De Parys Avenue in Bedford looked more like a lake than an avenue

Edward White, who lives in De Parys Avenue, in the town, said: "The rain was clearly very heavy and went on for quite some time.

"The road was completely covered with water from kerb to kerb.

"Water level reached the bottom of some cars and even at about 20:00 BST there are still significant puddles."

There was heavy rain from about 18:00 to about 18:45 in Bedford