MORE than 20 residents have been evacuated from two care homes in a village near Selby amid fears the properties would be flooded.

The evacuation took place in Temple Hirst after concerns grew about flooding from the River Aire.

Rachel Bowes, Assistant Director for Care and Support at North Yorkshire County Council, said it was 'always better to move vulnerable and elderly residents in a carefully planned and managed way so they feel safe.'

She said:“There was a risk of the river overtopping last night so, in discussion with the care home owners, the decision was made to evacuate residents before flood water hampered that and caused any worry.

“A total of 22 residents from two care homes were moved to other suitable local provision by the care home owners.

"Staff from the Environment Agency, fire and rescue service, Selby District Council and North Yorkshire County Council remained in the area overnight and are on site to ensure people are protected and have the information they need. 

"We'll continue to work together to monitor river levels and respond as needed."

An Environment Agency spokesman said at least nine properties in nearby Hirst Courtney had been evacuated due to flooding, and said sand bags were now being placed around the nearby village of Carlton. 

Station Manager Bob Hoskins tweeted that a SwiftWater Rescue Team had been deployed to Chapel Haddlesey, Temple Hirst and Hirst Courtney to assess the current situation and assist residents if required.

The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum – which brings together all the organisations supporting flood defence efforts in the county – is delivering a range of help to people affected by rising waters in Hirst Courtney.

A rest centre has been set up nearby to help those directly affected. Resilience Forum teams continue to contact those affected in person.

The Environment Agency, Selby District Council and North Yorkshire Council staff are on the ground delivering sandbags and coordinating support for residents affected by the rising waters on the River Aire.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has also been helping protect people living in the area.

Another band of rain and snow overnight on Sunday and yesterday morning has led to river levels rising in the area and across the Selby district, as the water makes it way down from higher ground.

These organisations have been actively supporting people along the River Aire over the past fortnight, but particularly over the past couple of days with more than 1,000 sandbags delivered to protect homes.

Where these go is being prioritised based on the greatest risk of flooding and Selby District Council asks that people work with the authority to ensure these remain in the places where they are needed most.

The Environment Agency has set up a number of pumps around the washlands. These were set up after Storm Ciara had filled the washlands and were used to maximise the storage capacity available in the washlands ahead of Storm Dennis. They will continue to operate the pumps to create capacity in the washlands during this period of unsettled weather.

The Agency will start pumping when the River Aire levels have dropped sufficiently and is no longer filling the washlands at West Marsh. This is because pumping water out of the washlands when they are filling from the River Aire does not lower washland levels or create capacity.

A number of roads in the area remain closed.

Speaking on behalf of the Resilience Forum, chief executive of Selby District Council, Janet Waggott, explained: “A number of homes have been directly affected by the rising waters and unfortunately we’ve seen some properties flood. But our work to protect homes in the area has limited the number affected between Brotherton and Carlton over recent days.

“The washlands at Hirst Courtney are an important flood storage area for the River Aire and the run-off areas for water have been working as they should. However, we’ve seen some of the highest-ever recorded levels in these washlands.

“We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely, working alongside the Met Office and others to understand how the weather over the next few days could affect the area. In the meantime, all the organisations involved will continue to have staff on the ground in the area to support people affected.”

The land of The Oddfellow Pub in Carlton said six people who had been affected by the flooding stayed at the pub last night. 

She added that members of a care home nearby are currently staying at the pub after a river bank burst causing the care home to be evacuated. 

Anyone affected by flooding and in need to help should contact the police in the first instance on 101 – if in the case of an emergency to call 999.