EMERGENCY services across Herefordshire fought hard to keep the county's residents safe in some of the most challenging conditions ever seen.

The services could only deal with life-threatening calls and motorists were told not to travel unless absolutely necessary by the West Mercia Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordination Group.

The group, consisting of the police, fire and ambulance services and Herefordshire Council, monitored river levels in the county and liaised with the Environment Agency and local Primary Care Trusts.

An RAF helicopter was also used in the rescue efforts and transported a patient to Hereford County Hospital on Sunday morning.

The West Midlands Ambulance Service was fully stretched. To ease the pressure some emergency vehicles had one one paramedic on-board and off-duty ambulance personnel were encouraged to contact their emergency operations centre.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service took more than 2,000 calls between Friday and Tuesday relating to flooding and 1,273 people were rescued across the two counties.

On Friday, 10 people from Herefordshire were rescued. This figure went up on Saturday to at least 38 people and on Sunday firefighters had an even busier day with 117 people rescued.

Herefordshire police also reported a busy weekend which included rescues and evacuations.

Stranded motorists were taken to rest centres which were set up in leisure centres in Bromyard, Leominster and Hereford and evacuations took place at Linton Caravan park, near Bromyard, and elderly residents and staff were rescued from Hampton House in Hampton Bishop. Residents were temporarily re-housed in other care homes and hospitals.

Herefordshire Council staff also responded to the emergency to help the county's residents who found themselves in desperate situations.

"It was all hands to the pumps," said Herefordshire Council head of communications Robert Blower.

"Officers who don't normally do these sorts of things were roped in to drive children home and 200 motorists trapped in Kimbolton were taken to Leominster Leisure Centre."

Meanwhile, Herefordshire Primary Care Trust reported no major disruption to its services because of the floods.