Flooding cuts off Eng town

2005-01-08 16:20

London - Heavy rain closed all roads to a northeast English town on Saturday and forced the evacuation of dozens of residents.

Police appealed to boat owners to help them reach residents trapped in their homes in Carlisle, in the county of Cumbria, north east England, after flooding cut road access to the town.

Torrential rain and strong winds lashed much of Britain early on Saturday and Cumbria Police said emergency services were stretched to the limit.

"We've had people phoning up reporting that the water is starting to creep up the stairs in their homes," Cumbria Police spokesperson Mike Head said.

"Some houses have been evacuated. The city centre is awash," he said.

Residents said shops in the town were forced to close and people watched helplessly as cars floated past them in the street.

"In some streets the houses have completely flooded and the water is as high as the kitchen tables," said Laura Thompson, an assistant at Carlisle Tourist Information Centre.

- AP