People rescued as vehicles left 'stranded' in flood water amid Storm Bert

Two people had to be rescued from a vehicle stranded in floodwater caused by Storm Bert. People were also evacuated from properties after a Leicestershire river burst its banks.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) confirmed it had to conduct the rescue on Sunday night (November 24) following the flooding in the Little Bowden area of Market Harborough after the River Jordan “burst its banks”. Two people were rescued from one vehicle which had become stranded in the floodwater.

The overflowing river resulted in crews from Market Harborough Fire Station, Kibworth Fire Station and Castle Donington Water Rescue being called to the area, alongside a technical rescue crew. LFRS said five people were evacuated from their homes due to the rising water, while 23 properties in Rectory Lane and Kettering Road were affected.

READ MORE: Live Leicestershire flood updates as warnings in place after Storm Bert

An LFRS spokesperson said the amount of water “ranged from inches to feet” across the impacted properties. The service said a further 57 people chose to remain in their homes following the flooding in the wake of Storm Bert.

Meanwhile, crews confirmed that another person had to escape from a “separate stranded vehicle” in the area. All those evacuated and rescued were deemed “fit and well”, LFRS said.

Roads in the Little Bowden area were closed to traffic as a result of flooding. These included Kettering Road, Rectory Lane, Scotland Road, St Nicholas Way and Northampton Road.

They have since been reopened. The fire service said today (Monday, November 25) that it was not dealing with any other flooding incidents in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

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