A LEIGH family battled against a torrent of water to save their home - with sandbags.

The family used the bags in a desperate attempt to divert a "river" of floodwater.

But, despite all Jeremy Dawes' efforts, his semi-detached home in Lawson Avenue, Westleigh, was soon under four inches of water in the living room.

Water from a16-inch main supplies up to 100 homes in the area. It was turned off for about five hours.

But Mr Dawes' home was by far the worst affected. The damage came only two months after accountant Jeremy, 28, and his mother and father completed a £25,000 renovation of the three bedroom house.

The fire brigade was called but before they arrived neighbour-power came to the rescue. Equipped with buckets, brushes and sand bags the family and neighbours in the street battled to save the three homes.

But there was little they could do.

Firefighters joined in the operation and helped to clear the water from the house.

Jeremy said: "The neighbours and the firemen were brilliant but it was an almost impossible task. There was so much water. It was like trying to stop the tide from reaching the beach."

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