Three young men were rescued from a flooded ford at Mashbury on Friday as continuing rain put the county's rivers on flood watch for the 12th time in four weeks.

Floodwatch is the basic warning level imposed since September by the government's Environment Agency where roads may flood but individual properties remain unaffected.

Chronicle weatherwatch man David Smith says everywhere the water table is so full that even modest amounts of rain now cause flooding of roads and overtopping of ditches and rivers in the county.

He says the rain and unsettled weather is set to continue into the festive season with every chance of renewed flooding in many English shires including Essex.

The rescue involved fire fighters from Chelmsford's Green Watch helping teenagers whose car was stranded in three feet of water at Bury Lane Ford, Mashbury on Friday evening.

Two of the lads from Barking had clambered on to the roof whilst another had waded off to call for help.

"He was at the side of the road looking shivering and miserable but we soon got him warmed up," said a Fire and Rescue Service spokesman.

The trio had been visiting friends in the area and thought they could get through the ford.

"They soon discovered the error of this as water was drawn up the exhaust pipe and seized the engine," said the fire spokesman.

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