River Witham bursts banks, flooding homes and roads in Grantham

A town river has burst its banks causing flooding to nearby properties.

In Grantham, the banks of the River Witham have reportedly broken along Belton Lane, and along the back of Sainsbury’s.

There were some concerns, reported online, that water may head towards Manthorpe Lane, although other nearby roads such as 5 Gates were reported to be “passable”.

Social media reports say that flooding had reached the nearby community centre.

It comes on a day when flooding has battered the county and there are warnings in place that the water could turn to ice overnight, leading to further chaos tomorrow.

Resident Tracy Swann said: “Manthorpe Road and Brook Street are open, but Belton Lane and Hill Avenue are closed, you can't turn on to Belton Lane.”

A Lincolnshire County Council spokesperson confirmed it had received a number of calls from the Belton Lane area and had a fire appliance out at a property there.

The spokesperson added that the service was currently “really busy”.

Also: Dramatic flood scenes pictured from the skyA post from Lincolnshire Police added: “We are asking people to avoid the area of Belton Lane and Wyndham Park area in Grantham due to flooding.

“Emergency services are on scene and assisting residents and people in the area. We will update with more information and advice when we are able.”

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “In the last 24 hours we’ve seen widespread rain leading to flooding across Lincolnshire. We understand that the River Witham has overtopped its banks in Grantham and a Flood Warning has been issued for the area.

"Our teams are out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and support those communities affected.

We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water, as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.

“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk, call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgencyMids on Twitter for the latest flood updates.”

Bottesford, near Grantham, has also been hit hard by severe flooding today.

Are you affected? Email: news@lincsonline.co.uk