Householders are picking up the pieces after flooding caused thousands of pounds of damage.

Firefighters were called to pump out several homes across north Essex yesterday afternoon including two in East Road, East Mersea, and Wig Cottage in Wig Lane, Boxted.

Standing in several inches of water, Gelson Marcon, tenant of Wig Cottage, was trying to clear up some of the damage at the 14th century building.

"This is the third flood we have had. Yesterday I was predicting it would flood but I have never seen it as bad as this - this time there seems to be water rising from the floor," Mr Marcon said.

Water from the saturated surrounding fields has poured into the picturesque cottage and forced raw sewage from the backed-up drains.

The carpets and a lot of the furniture downstairs have been ruined.

"It is a nightmare. I'm just worried it will do an awful lot of damage to the cottage," Mr Marcon said.

He has phoned Anglian Water which is sending tankers to try to pump water out of the main sewer to alleviate the pressure.

The cottage's landlord Terry Vasey is at present working in India in his role as director of Leprosy charity Lepra. "He doesn't know anything about the flood. If he did he would have a heart attack," Mr Marcon said.

Flooding today remained on the Maldon Road at Birch, heading into Colchester, where drivers could get through with care.

Today there were 23 flood warnings and 55 flood watches in areas across the region after 2-8mm of rain fell overnight. Warnings are on the River Stour downstream of Sudbury, the rivers Roman, Colne, Blackwater, Brain and Pant, and the Tendring Peninsula.

Flooded home - Gelson Marcon surveys the flood inside his lounge.

Picture: Terry Weeden

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