Sherbourne close to flooding...

From our own correspondent:

Was staggered when crossing Hope Street bridge this evening to see the river at its highest level for more than two years. That was during torrential rain in the summer when the drains were blocked. I estimated the surface of the water at being four times as wide as normal and within a few feet of the banks on either side. Parents living nearby are keeping their kids and pets locked inside for safety. There's just a couple of feet of clearance under the road bridges. Once that is reached the water will look for a way around the bridges which will the flood the whole area to a depth of at least a few inches. There are many uncollected wheelie bins in the immediate area as well which could easily be swept away. Most of the homes in the area are raised above ground level so they will remain dry but movement between them will be very restricted. At least one newer estate was built a few feet below river level so if the river breaks its banks they will be inundated with floodwater.

As also happened last time, there have been no official warnings to residents and no visits to monitor the situation.