CLEAN-UP operations were this week under way in two villages hit by floods at the weekend.

Torrential rain on Sunday afternoon caused flooding to around 40 homes and businesses in Lanchester, near Consett. Residents have described how Front Street became a river up to four feet deep.

One of the worst affected was John Dixon, new landlord of the Queens Head pub. "It was horrendous," he said. "It was coming through the front door, the back door and up out of the toilets."

Mr Dixon and his wife, Jayne, only bought the pub and restaurant in May and had just spent £20,000 on refurbishing it.

He said: "I closed down for two weeks and have only just re-opened. Now I have got this to deal with. People are angry about it. This problem has been around in Lanchester for a long time and needs to be sorted out."

The flooding was due to the overspilling of Alderdene Burn, which runs underneath the street and is the responsibility of Derwentside District Council.

A council spokesman said the problem was due to the sheer volume of water that came down in such a short space of time.

In Tudhoe Colliery, near Spennymoor, first-time buyer Emma Nelson's dreams of moving into her new home this month were in tatters after sewage water swept through her house.

"We had just put down laminate flooring in the living room and I watched it lifted and float out my door," she said.

Around 20 houses in Front Street were affected, including six recently sold by Sedgefield Borough Council.

A spokeswoman for Northumbrian Water said the fierce downpour had led to a blockage in a sewer in Tudhoe. "We deeply regret the incident. All the residents affected will be given a rebate on their sewerage charges."