Military men and women from Suffolk drafted in to help beleaguered flood victims have been thanked for their support.

More than 230 troops from RAF Honington arrived in Berkshire on Tuesday and have spent the past few days helping across flooded areas between Windsor and Maidenhead.

Among those to have received help were Frank and Jackie Guttfield, whose home in Bisham was on the brink of being flooded.

Mr Guttfield, 74, said: “I think it’s great that the RAF are here making us feel safer. It is such a relief to know that the armed forces are out there looking after us.”

After staying in temporary accommodation at the Combermere Barracks in Windsor - home of the army’s household cavalry - staff from II Squadron and other units from around the country were assigned to the areas most in need.

Squadron second-in-command flight lieutenant Matt Shutler said: “It is early days yet, but we hope that we have made some impact in our first full day of operations and are reassuring the community that we are here to assist them.

A ‘bronze’ command post had been established by Thames Valley Police at Bisham Primary School, with RAF troops part of a coordinated operation.

Inspector Mike Darrah said: “Our job is to identify people in the local area who are the most vulnerable to flooding, and the RAF’s role is to deliver sandbags to those who most need them.”