Storm Babet: Cambridgeshire fire service received 1,500 calls

Large areas of Suffolk were severely flooded due to Storm Babet

Heavy downpours caused by Storm Babet meant a fire service experienced its "busiest 24 hours on record."

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said its staff handled more than 1,500 calls and logged more than 640 incidents.

The storm destroyed homes and businesses and a major incident was declared in neighbouring Suffolk.

The Met Office issued a moderate yellow warning hours beforehand and admitted the storm was "difficult" to forecast.

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Chief fire officer Chris Strickland praised the hard work of his colleagues during the peak period.

"Despite the extreme workload generated by the storm, the combined fire control provided a great service throughout and clearly showed how cost effective and efficient a joint facility can be," he said.

People had to be rescued from their cars in Suffolk and Charsfield in the county recorded 78mm of rain (3in)in 24 hours, as did Wattisham.