AN 86-year-old war hero and his 75-year-old wife barricaded their house with sandbags but were forced to beat a retreat when a torrent of water poured over their defences.

John Campbell, who was twice awarded the Military Cross for bravery in the Second World War, retreated to the top floor of his timber-framed home in Luston with his wife Shirley.

With power cut off the couple were in darkness until a neighbour brought camping lamps which they hoisted through their bedroom window.

Downstairs there was 17 inches of water and furniture and carpets were ruined but John, a former member of an Eighth Army secret operations unit, decided to get a good night's sleep.

"He was philosophical," said Shirley. "When you've gone through a war and had to fight like he did, what's a bit of water?"

Shirley, who has unhappy wartime memories of fleeing Burma and losing her family home, was more unsettled by the damage at Townsend House.

She described the onset of the deluge: "The brook that runs past the house was rising and we sandbagged ourselves in.

"Unfortunately the brook burst its banks further upstream. I looked out of the house and saw a river pouring down the garden - it just went right over the sandbags."

Despite road closure by the police, traffic continued to use the part-flooded B4361 through Luston (the northbound lane of the A49 is closed for repairs), worsening conditions for villagers.

"The lorries were driving through at top speed sending great waves right over our house and swamping us," said Shirley.