HUNDREDS of homes across East Lancashire were sandbagged as the area battled against its worst flooding for a more than a decade.

Scores of people in Barnoldswick, Sawley and Ribchester were on alert through the night as rain and melting snow flooded the roads around their homes for the second night running.

Homes in Ghyll Meadow and Pickard Close, Barnoldswick, were still under three feet of water early today and insurance companies were assessing the damage as weather men predicted more heavy rain for tonight and showers and winds or the rest of the week.

Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick had to shut down production yesterday when two acid tanks overflowed because of the floods but the water diluted the chemicals so much that they were not considered a danger.

A Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "Again it was again down to the rain which was threatening to make underground acid tanks overflow.

"We went to prevent surface water getting into the tanks. Surface water was pumped away and there was no overflow. The company had a tanker there and removed the acid."

Greenber Field Lane, Barnoldswick, Blackburn Road at the junction of Stoney Gate, Ribchester, and the B6245 near to the De Tabley, Ribchester, were still closed today.

Police said Burnley Road at Cliviger has suffered a culvert collapse and was likely to be closed until at least 6pm.

Sgt Tony Longton said police received calls at about 4pm yesterday warning that the road surface was breaking up at roadworks at Ratten Clough, Cliviger, between Windy Bridge and Portsmouth. He said: "It appears that the pressure of flood water was too much for the culvert which collapsed."

The cellar of a house in Green Terrace, Worsthorne, filled with water at about midnight and similar incidents took place in parts of Rawtenstall and Waterfoot.

Fire crews pumped out water from the basement at St Mary's Church in Rawtenstall.

Many schools were getting back to normal today but Lowerhouse junior school, Burnley, remained closed because of flooding. Lomeshaye junior school was shut due to heating problems and Trawden village school was shut because there was no electricity supply.

A severe flood warning for Ribchester -- the highest state of alert given by the Environment Agency -- was issued in the early hours.

Police were sent to wake residents, backed by the Air Support Unit, the fire brigade and police divers.

Firefighters received almost 100 calls yesterday with their emergency flood operation costing an estimated £30,000. Mick Frankland, the fire service's divisional commander for East Lancashire, said: "I've never seen it so bad and the crews are saying its the worst they've seen since 1987. There were places we couldn't even get to because the water was so deep.

"The worst hit places were Sawley Barnoldswick and Earby. We had a major problem at the Rolls Royce factory in Barnoldswick when two acid tanks overflowed because the water table had risen so high.

"The company had to shut down production, but we tested the water and the acid had been diluted so much it was deemed not to be dangerous by the Environment Agency."

Roger Higman, senior claimate campaigner with the Friedns of the Earth, said: "The storms and floods we are now seeing will get more frequent and more severe."

Trains were operating again today although a landslide on the Copi Pit Line from Burnley to Todmorden affected the timetable in Burnley.

Picture: Rain doesn't stop play for this hardy villager as he takes his four-legged friend for a swim in the floodwater covering Sawley.