Homes threatened as flood water rises

Anxious villagers were praying the rain would stop this week as water from the Thames lapped around their front doorsteps.

Householders living on the river opposite the Bells of Ouseley Harvester restaurant in Straight Road, Old Windsor have watched their underground garages flood and their back gardens disappear over the last few days - as the Thames continues to rise only yards from their homes.

Earlier today the water was surrounding four or five homes swirling six inches deep as it lapped up against their raised front doorsteps.

Construction manager Stefano Da Re, 31, who only moved into the house with his parents three years ago, said: "We are just hoping the rain abates so the water will drain away.

"It had dropped a little over the last two days but now it is right over our gardens. We are having to make preparations.

"It got slightly higher last year and it was very traumatic as we had not had any experience of it."

Last year the rain stopped just in time. This year Stefano has bricks standing by to prop the furniture up on if the water starts coming in.

He admits he did not realise when he acquired the pretty house on the Thames what a yearly nightmare it might involve.

The family suffered interruptions to the power supply last year, although this has not happened so far this time.