FIVE people in a car had a lucky escape when the River Lugg burst its banks at Ford Bridge, near Leominster, engulfing the A49.

Firefighters arrived to find the group on the roof of the car which appeared to be floating down the road.

The occupants climbed from the vehicle after driving into deep water near Leominster Golf Course.

The car was carried by a powerful current but became jammed against a hedge, said Leominster fire station sub officer Dave Taylor.

His crew arrived to see five "cold, wet and frightened" people on top as water lapped around the roof.

A Hereford fire service rescue boat saved the travellers.

At Eardisland, firefighters helped 13 people to safety as the River Arrow burst its banks and engulfed the riverside Arrow Bank caravan park.

Parts of the village were chest deep in water. Some homes and the village hall were flooded.Parish council chairman Serena Askew said: "There was quite a Dunkirk spirit - people coped brilliantly. Villagers were looking after elderly people and putting out sandbags in the early hours of the morning."

In Orleton an angry villager parked his car on a bridge to block access after drivers ignored police closure signs and drove through deep water along Millway.

Bob Flemons, who lives by the bridge over the Mill Brook, said: "Drivers were coming through at speed causing tidal waves to crash against the house.

"It's wrong that people should ignore signs - they apply to everyone."

He said a holiday cottage adjoining his home was flooded throughout.

Orleton was hard hit with floodwater and sewage getting into homes.

A Leominster man worried about his elderly parents walked six miles along flooded roads to find their Orleton bungalow remained dry but homes on either side were flooded.

Meanwhile, at Cobnash on the B4360, near Kingsland, four homes were flooded when a ditch overflowed.

Simon Purvin, of China Hall, said the area has had long-standing drainage problems and blamed "a total lack of maintenance" by the authorities.

"I have done what I can with a spade and rods to clear pipes running under the road but you need specialist equipment and a mini digger," he said.

He has bought a £250 pump and says if there is more flooding he will risk arrest by blocking the road with his car while he runs a pipe over the road to clear water from his home.

Yarpole village centre was also awash after a brook burst its banks.

Some homes at Luston flooded and parts of the B4361 road north of the village were dislodged.

Bodenham was cut off and a landslip on the C1152 from Bodenham to Dinmore near the Railway Inn added to hazards.

Larger urban areas were also affected and homes were flooded in parts of Leominster including Middle-marsh, Portna Way and Castlefields.

Leominster Ambulance Station suffered severe flood damage and crews had to move to a temporary base at the town's Community Hospital.

Spokeswoman Daphne Lewis said: "We have been very kindly offered temporary accommodation at the hospital, which is providing us with a crew rest room with facilities, until repairs can be carried out at the ambulance station."

She said Herefordshire crews were flat-out dealing with emergencies during the the floods.

"We were fortunate in that we were able to access non-emergency vehicles and extra crews from other divisions within the service," said Ms Lewis.

"Many off-duty staff came in to assist over the weekend, and other local agencies such as St John Ambulance also provided us with support.

This meant we were able to retain our emergency front line crews for 999 calls, and any disruption to our service to those patients was kept to the absolute minimum, the only delays being due to road closures.

Herefordshire Council opened a rest centre at Bridge Street Sports Centre for travellers and residents affected by the floods in and around the north Herefordshire market town.