Picture special: How floods deluged Calder Valley

The centre of the town was completely under water, with residents worried levels would rise further as the rain continued to fall.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said a man had to be rescued after he tried to drive a Land Rover into the water.

He said: “He turned left after coming over the bridge and we just watched horrified as his car was dragged back towards us.”

The man said emergency services had to use a boat to get to the stranded vehicle before smashing the sun-roof and pulling the driver from the car.