COUNCIL leaders today defended the way they handled the effects of flash floods which sparked chaos across the area.

Senior council officers from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council spent hours on Friday night and Saturday assessing damage caused by the torrential downpours and handing out sandbags.

And the leader of Hyndburn Council, Coun Ian Ormerod, said lessons needed to be learned from the floods, described by him as the worst in 40 years.

The flash floods left scores of homes in East Lancashire under water and more than a dozen roads closed.

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader, Coun Bill Taylor, praised the efforts of staff who had coped under difficult circumstances.

He said: "I thought the operation seemed to go pretty efficiently. I was with the senior officers while they were out for most of Friday evening and Saturday morning, and they were regularly getting calls through.

"It was exceptional circumstances -- I heard it was something like two inches of rain. I had been travelling myself, so I was aware how bad it was.

"I think, given the very unusual weather conditions we did a very good job. I know that the officers were still out seeing people on Saturday afternoon."

He added that he expected a clearer picture of the amount of damage caused to be available this week.

And he said there were emergency plans for eventualities such as the storms, which had been put into operation.

"There was a plan which was put into operation as the circumstances prevailed. But if people couldn't get through on the phones, it must have been because the lines were jammed. It was certainly incredibly busy."

Many householders were left temporarily homeless as they fought a losing battle with sewage-contaminated floodwater, when the storm struck at around 5pm on Friday.

Coun Ormerod said: "What happened reminded me of the floods in the early sixties during Accrington July fortnight that caused mayhem.

"The severity of the flooding then was unbelievable and major sewer works were introduced so the River Hyndburn didn't have to take the water.

"I believe the water treatment introduced since then dealt with it satisfactorily in that Accrington town centre was not flooded. But I understand there were areas that were not dealt with so sympathetically and my feelings go out to those who were flooded.

"Today will be spent looking at the areas where there were problems and making plans to prevent problems in the future. It is inevitable that theses things are going to happen because of the changing climate but lessons need to be learned when they do."