Long Melford flooding sees 'community heroes' set up centre

The Chad Brook tributary of the River Stour in Long Melford burst its banks on Friday night as Storm Babet hit the county, and quickly flooded the Old Court estate in Bull Lane as well as several other properties including Hall Mill and Melbrook House.

Babergh district councillors John Nunn and Elisabeth Malvisi organised a team of volunteers who went door to door checking on elderly residents in Bull Lane. 

Some of the volunteers in the Emergency Rest Centre (Image: John Nunn)

Mr Nunn said: "Long Melford nowadays is just getting better and better and everyone is pulling together, and that is what happened on Friday night.

"We don't know what is going to happen in the future with climate change and things, and so the parish council will certainly be doing all it can to help our residents.

"We are always here to help and we would like to think that Long Melford goes the extra mile for the residents." 

The river, which burst its banks and flooded the Old Court estate area (Image: John Nunn)

The village hall and Heritage Centre also came close to flooding, and Cllr Nunn said water was just five centimetres from the doors. 

The group set up an Emergency Rest Centre was set up at St Catherine's Church for any residents who needed a place to stay. 

Mr Nunn said: "The centre was stocked with bedding supplied by Babergh District Council's emergency response team and, fortunately, only a handful of residents had to be evacuated. 

"My thanks go to fellow councillors Elisabeth Malvisi and David Burch, Sudbury town wardens Bradley Smith and Ben Mason, the Reverend Matthew Lawson and team, county councillor Richard Kemp, Mrs Lynda Badger who helped immensely and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service."