Support for flood-hit Muchelney

HELP and support came to 120 villagers yesterday who have been left stranded in Muchelney because of the floods. 

All roads in and out of the village near Langport have been closed due to flooding for several days, but help was at hand yesterday when the Burnham Area Rescue Boat was sent from the coast to inland to deliver food, drinks and support to villagers.

First priority for the rescue boat was to help with urgent medical and dental needs, including a much-needed prescription, and then to ferry residents into Langport to get basic food supplies.

And Wessex 4x4 Response has also been helping by taking villagers into nearby Langport after disembarking.

The BARB and Wessex 4x4 Response team responded following a call from Somerset County Council.

Council leader, Cllr John Osman, said: "We are very grateful to the help given by voluntary groups stepping in during this crisis."

“Our own staff have linked up with partners and emergency groups to help a large number of people who were basically stuck, with no way in or out of the village.”

Villager Nick Cater works for the Somerset Waste Partnership and said the community had pulled together to help one another but outside support was very welcome.

“The water is chest deep and extremely cold; you can wade through it but it is obviously hazardous," he said. "We are grateful to all those who have stepped in to help our community.”

Needy residents could be among the first people to receive payments for a special fund set up for help flood-hit communities.

The charity Somerset Community Foundation launched a public appeal on Tuesday with Somerset County Council pumping in a £50,000 donation.

“We are ready to help anyone who needs really urgent support to tide them over a few days or to pay for emergency bills and so on," said the charity's Justin Sargent.

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