A SECOND clean-up operation has taken place in the Cumbrian village of Glenridding which was flooded again after the weekend deluge cut it off from the world for three days.

It is thought that approximately 50mm of rain fell there on Wednesday and that eight properties and the basement of a hotel were flooded for the second time within a week.

Residents were forced to form a human chain to help evacuate people as the Glennridding Beck burst its banks with torrential rain sweeping down the fells at around 7pm.

Some sense of normality had only just begun returning to the picturesque village thanks to dozens of volunteers who had pitched in during the first clean-up.

Local farmer Joe Taylforth said he witnessed “folk holding hands” as they attempted to get out of their flood-ridden homes and businesses next to the river.

Mandy Howard-Carter, 35, said her quick-thinking husband, Ali, who used to be in the Mountain Rescue service, fetched a rope and fed it across the bridge to help villagers wade through the knee-deep water.

Police, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service and the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were in the village throughout the night providing support and help to residents. Superintendent Justin Bibby said: “As part of the multi-agency response to this week’s flooding across Cumbria, we were set to respond to the further heavy rainfall predicted for last night.

“I am pleased to say that the response was quick to last night’s flooding and multi-agency partners were able to reassure the community of Glenridding that everything was in place, and being done, to ensure their safety throughout the operation.”

Many villagers felt as though they were back to square one after Glenridding Beck was dredged of rubble – the result of a landslide – only to see it fill back up but the resolve to return to normality remains strong. Volunteers driving tractors remain a constant in Glenridding, as do those on foot, going to and fro to provide food and water, while others shovel away debris.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hailed the emergency services and the community spirit as he visited flooded-out homeowners and businesses in Cumbria.

He received a warm welcome from locals who thanked him for visiting as he spent more than an hour going from shop to shop on the high street in Cockermouth.

Normally busy with tourists, the street is now lined with skips and builders’ vans, with fridges, sandbags, printers and shop fittings piled up on the pavement.

Mr Corbyn said better flood defences were needed, but global warming and cuts to emergency services also needed to be looked at.

Five fire stations in Cumbria are set to close in the latest round of measures to save money, according to local firemen who joined him on the visit.

Mr Corbyn said: “We obviously need better flood defences, they did help, they did reduce the damage but they didn’t stop it altogether. So clearly cuts in flood defence programmes are not helpful. We can’t go on cutting the fire service and expecting them to do more and more.”

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