Practices avoid flood damage

Optical practices escaped without damage after heavy rainfall on May 29 flooded homes and businesses across Devon and Somerset.

Practices in the worst affected towns of Crewkerne, Castle Cary, Yeovil, Ilminster and Shepton Mallett avoided flooding through storms that at their peak resulted in a call every three seconds to Devon and Somerset's emergency services and caused cars to be carried away.

'We were extremely lucky, it happened so quickly we didn't have time to prepare. In three quarters of an hour the road became a river,' said Leslie Robbins, an ophthalmic assistant dispenser at Robert Frith Optometrists in Castle Cary.

'Luckily we have a very high pavement on this side of the road. The pub opposite was having water pumped out of it and so was the Co-op supermarket,' she explained.