North Yorkshire motorists warned to avoid driving in flood water

A fire crew had to help a driver on Tuesday whose car had become stuck in flood water in Ripon

Motorists in North Yorkshire have been urged to avoid driving in flood water after a number of cars became stranded following heavy rainfall.

Large parts of the county have been affected by Storm Henk, with several flood warnings still in place.

Those included warnings on Thursday for the River Ouse in York and the River Aire around Brayton, near Selby.

Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for highways, urged motorists to take care.

In an interview with BBC Radio York, Mr Duncan said drivers should use their common sense when in flood-hit areas.

"Don't drive through high flood waters - it's not going to end well for anybody," he said.

Flooding in St George's Field car park in York after Storm Henk

In one incident on Tuesday, a fire crew from Ripon was called to a car that had become stuck in flood water after its driver had attempted to cross a ford.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the driver was unhurt and had been assisted out of the water by a member of the public.

Crews closed the ford and nearby footbridge, with assistance from the police.

Meanwhile, in Naburn, near York, firefighters had to rescue a family from their car when they got stuck in flood water on Monday.

A number of vehicles were also abandoned in flood water in York's St George's Field car park.

The Environment Agency (EA) also warned people to avoid driving through flood water.

An EA spokesperson said: "It takes only 30cm of water to float your car."

'Challenging time'

Mr Duncan said that about 20 roads across the county remained closed on Thursday, with 15 others only passable with care.

On the council's response to the storm, he said it had been a "challenging time".

"It feels like storm after storm after storm - it has been taking its toll," he added.

Standing water and high river levels continued to be an issue, Mr Duncan said.

However, he said North Yorkshire Council was doing everything possible to ensure "homes are protected and that people are safe".

Pumps had been deployed in a number of areas, including in Malton, where rising ground water levels were an issue, according to Mr Duncan.

Meanwhile, flood defences had been activated in York, he said.

Naburn, near York, was affected by flooding on Sunday as a result of Storm Henk