Billing Aquadrome park starts to reopen after flooding

Heavy rain has left standing water up to 5ft (1.5m) in places

People forced to flee a flooded holiday park on Christmas Eve have started to be allowed back to some properties.

Billing Aquadrome park in Northampton was evacuated and 1,000 people had to find emergency accommodation when water levels rose up to 5ft (1.5m) deep.

Part of the park has now reopened, but the site said it was still carrying out essential checks across the rest of the mobile home resort.

It said safety was its "primary concern" in a Facebook post.

About half of the park has now reopened, but residents of properties in the sections that remained closed were urged not to return and check for updates instead.

As the flooding hit, people had to shelter in hotels or with families and friends, with Covid restrictions waived due to the "exceptional circumstances".

Brianne Desousza said the water rose quickly as she gathered possessions from her home on Christmas Eve

As owners began to return on Tuesday, some said they were anxious about any damage.

Resident Brianne Desousza said the flood water was so strong she thought it was going to topple her car.

"It was heavy water coming in all directions," she said.

"It was quite frightening, but luckily I got out."

Another resident, Lyndsey Smith, said thousands of items had been donated to those affected at the park, open for 11 months of the year.

"The Sikh community donated 500 meals the other night," she said.

"We're going to be doing food parcels today, because the majority of fridges and freezers are outside in sheds."

Volunteers at a church in nearby Duston also set up a drive-through donation point.

Lyndsey Smith has been helping to distribute donations to her fellow residents

Ben Thornley, from the Environment Agency, said flood defences were working but could not cope with the volume of rain.

"We've not seen that much water come through the centre of Northampton on the [River] Nene for a very long time," he said.

"So much water needed to get through the system quickly, which ultimately led to that flooding."

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