Water, water everywhere

Flooding as region hit with heavy rain

- Dave Knapper

ROADS were left under water, police were called out and a pub was forced to shut as North Staffordshire was battered by hours of heavy rain.

Thursday's deluge resulted in sandbags being given out in some of the county’s worst-affected areas.

Scores of roads - mostly in Newcastle - were under water.

They included Lower Milehouse Lane, Kingsbridge Avenue, Dartmouth Avenue, Etruria Road, Albemarle Road, and Porthill Bank.

On Dimsdale Parade West in Wolstanton, a manhole cover is said to have been ‘blown off’ with water covering the road and pavement.