Flash flood wrecks village

A massive rescue operation is continuing at a flood-ravaged coastal village as Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was on his way to offer support.

Dozens of villagers had to be airlifted to safety after a wall of water tore through the picturesque tourist spot of Boscastle in north Cornwall.

Further downpours will hit the coastal area today but not on the scale of yesterday's deluge where one month's worth of rain fell in less than two hours.

Rescuers warned that up to 1,000 people may have to be winched to safety as flash floods swept away cars and demolished at least six buildings.

Three people were reported missing as families were left separated in the chaos, but they were later accounted for.

Dozens of people stranded on rooftops and in cars were airlifted to safety earlier, while around 50 vehicles were swept away during the devastating torrential rains.

Around 50 people were trapped in their vehicles by debris-loaded water, and over 60 people were evacuated from the village.

Some had been airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro to be treated for minor injuries and shock.

Among them were two adults and a baby rescued from a car, while a kidney dialysis patient needed lifting out of his house to get medical treatment.

Michael Mulford, spokesman for RAF Kinloss which is co-ordinating the military rescue effort, said hundreds more people could need air-lifting from the flood-stricken area. "A lot of them managed to get away to high ground in the early stages, but we have to consider the possibility that we may have many hundreds, up to a theoretical 1,000 people, who may need rescuing," he said.