A FLOODED cellar beneath a Teesdale bookshop had to be pumped clear for several hours yesterday after water began to leak on to the pavement.

More than 500 gallons of rainwater had to be pumped from the cellar below Curlews Books, in Horsemarket, Barnard Castle.

The water had reached 8ft deep before it began to seep on to the street yesterday.

A workman from Shepherds, the company which owns the shop, began pumping water out of the basement of the three-storey building after gaining permission from Teesdale District Council.

Paul Ridsdale, of Shepherds, said: "The flooding has been caused by rainwater, but whether it is running off the roof or somewhere else we are not sure.

"We will probably find out where the water is coming from tomorrow when the cellar has been completely cleared."