Lancashire flooding: Village cottages impacted more than any time in past 30 years

They have been here before and they will be here again...cleaning up and clearing out sodden possessions.

But this time the flooding had a different dimension as it appears an excess of surface and drainwater caused the problems not the river Wyre bursting its bank.

The main Garstang Road through the picturesque village was still closed today following the torrential rains of Sunday and Monday.

The worst hit properties were on Fox Row, a row of seven cottages on Garstang Road near the junction with Rawcliffe Road.

One couple said they believed it was the worst flooding there in 30 years

Wagon driver Ben Whitaker who lives on the Fox Row terrace had set up a pump and hoses to pump water out of a sewer drain in his back garden. His garden had been completely flooded and the water also came in under his front door, wetting the carpet.

He said:"I used to work on a farm and one year I brought a tractor and took 10,000 gallons of water out with a vacuum tanker."

He said:"I've never seen it all the way across the road and up the pavement (before).The kids just want to come out and splash in it. If it has backed up from the sewer drain you don't know what is going to be in it."

Near neighbour Ashley and Tom Higgs and son Ted , three, saw their property affected much more severely with three downstairs rooms affected. Ashley's parents had come over to help with the clean up and her father Tony Spinks said: "She's upset and frustrated."

Rod Salthouse manager at St Michael's garage said the garage does not get flooded but they were pumping out water from around their petrol tanks as a precaution.

He said: "It doesn't usually get as bad in this area, but obviously its a yearly thing seems to be now!"

And although the number of properties affected was relatively few compared to some past floods, the whole village was impacted with many residents facing detours or being unable to get to work on Tuesday.