Police come to the rescue as flood waters in Sutton threaten to destroy 80-year-old woman's home

Officers attended a property in Ashgate, Sutton, on Sunday evening (June 18) after flash flooding was reported.

Janice Obertelli called 999 as the waters began lapping at her door and threatening the homes of her neighbours.

After rushing to the scene, officers used garden forks, sweeping brushes and shovels to displace the water and channel it away from the area.

After a team effort, the waters receded, and the inside of Mrs Obertelli’s home remained dry.

She said: “The police officers who came were wonderful. They battled out there to protect my property and I really can’t thank them enough.

“I was really scared when I saw the water rising so high and was sure it was going to flood into my house.

“The police officers who came really did a brilliant job. I really could have hugged them all.”

Heavy rain affected parts of the county on Sunday as hot weather gave way to thunderstorms with more expected throughout the week.

PC Kevin Eyre, who co-ordinated the efforts with colleagues from the local neighbourhood policing team, said: “I am really proud of all the officers present; they showed great resilience and really got stuck in as soon as they saw there was something that could be done to help.

“We didn’t have the ideal tools at our disposal but we made the most of what we had and managed to keep this lady’s home nice and dry."