Flooding: Timberland Delph breach leaves Dyson farmland under water

The breach has left 200 acres of farmland under water

A breach in a dyke bank following heavy rainfall has left 200 acres of farmland owned by inventor Sir James Dyson under water.

James Thompson, head of farming at Beeswax Dyson, said the breach in the Timberland Delph was up to 40ft wide.

Nearby properties have been evacuated as a precaution.

Norman Robinson, area director for the Environment Agency, said they were preparing to plug the breach as soon as water levels dropped.

The agency has issued a flood warning for the River Witham catchment area and associated fens from Woodhall Spa to Chapel Hill, with low-lying properties at risk.

Mr Thompson said: "There is very little in the current conditions we can do about it. We are going to have to let it keep coming."

Farmers say the pace of the water gushing out of the breach has eroded between 30ft and 40ft of the bank

He said farmland used for crops was under about 3ft of water in places.

Mr Thompson it could take weeks to clear as there was nowhere for the water to go.

Mr Robinson said the Timberland Delph would normally direct water away from the land and into the River Witham, but due to the amount of water in the system, it had backed up.

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"This morning the banks were under significant pressure during the high tide and we've lost part of the bank," he said.

The agency is preparing to plug the breach with sandbags.

Earlier this month, more than 1,000 acres of farmland were left under water after a breach in the banks of the Barlings Eau, a river near Lincoln.

The Environment Agency says it is preparing to plug the breach with sandbags