FIREFIGHTERS from Wirral have returned from Somerset where they were helping flooded communities.

A team from West Kirby and Heswall community fire stations was involved in pumping water away from properties.

Watch manager Phil Hunt, who along with four local travelled to Somerset and worked near the village of Huntworth, said: "We were working through the night pumping water into a canal, which was acting as a holding area, before the water was moved further.

"It was part of round-the-clock operations to help the communities in the surrounding areas and try to alleviate the flooding and reduce water levels in the area."

A tactical advisor has been deployed to Berkshire to Whitley Wood Fire Station to provide additional support in managing the ongoing operation.

Merseyside chief fire officer Dan Stephens said: "Fire and rescue services provide a significant element of any response to a situation such as mass flooding as seen across Somerset and other parts of Southern England.

"They operate important assets with highly trained personnel that are there, ready to respond and help those in need.

"Our firefighters have now assisted communities in a number of areas affected by flooding."