Carol Checkett Ms Carol Checketts home at Brook End House, Repton was overwhelmed with 8 inches of flood water during the biblical amount of rain that fell on Thursday 14th November 2019. This is the 2nd time this has happened. The local community got together and tried to help her move furniture upstairs and place sandbags but her ground floor was engulfed in the rising flood water.

She spent the night with her daughter in Barton under Needwood and returned to find her house unrecognisable.

The floors are covered in muddy water which squelches under foot, while furniture has been left scattered after Mrs Checketts, and her neighbours, attempts to limit the damage on the evening of the flooding.

"At least yesterday made me realise that the most important thing in life is the people that I've got around me.

"The neighbours came to help, a lot of them. It's what's been keeping me going.

"There was a young lad who lives up the road, who I'd never met before,.

He came last night in his wellies and put the flood defences in place.

Neighbours came to get me clothes, helped with furniture. They even had to cut my wellies off of me, I couldn't get them off.

"I'd put them on without socks on and the water had got over the top.

"It was hilarious, someone was holding my leg while someone was pulling it so I just said to get the scissors."

Mrs Checketts said she is unsure of the full extent of the damage and will be staying with her daughter, in Barton, until the home is ready to be moved back into, but did say she wanted this to be "as soon as possible".

She expects her washing machine, dishwasher, fridge and freezer all to be scrapped.

Upstairs is completely fine and arrangements are already in place for professional cleaners to visit the site.