BUSINESSES, residents and Bradford Council were counting the cost today after some of the worst floods in recent years left a trail of destruction across the district.

Scores of residents lost their possessions worth thousands of pounds as several feet of filthy river water entered hundreds of homes.

Particularly hard hit were riverside businesses which saw valuable stock - including vans, cars, caravans and shipping containers - simply swept away by torrents of water.

At Baildon Bridge, business owner Brian Tuxford was left devastated as he surveyed the wreckage of his van hire business called NorthWay.

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Mr Tuxford, 46, estimated the losses at £500,000 and believes that the business may need to find a new base.

"The site is decimated; it has collapsed on three sides. There is a big, gaping hole in the road and the tarmac has been ripped up."

Mr Tuxford, who was still trembling with shock as he spoke to the Telegraph & Argus, said several vehicles had been swept downstream, with another 40 damaged by flood water.

 

More than 20 business vehicles were saved thanks to the kindness of strangers.

"People - men and women, just strangers - helped us to drive vehicles from the forecourt. The water was six or seven inches deep by then.

"These strangers just helped us - it was remarkable. I can't thank them enough. Without them we would have lost a lot more," he said.

Mr Tuxford, who lives in Baildon, said he was reluctant for the business to stay at its present base.

"I could spend £200,000 sorting things out and this could happen again in two days and we would be back to square one."

At nearby Expression Automobile, staff were mopping up mud left behind by flood water which had been almost 5ft deep.

Jamie Allen, who helps run the car modification firm, was assessing the damage which included a friend's Mercedes car.

"We are going to get things cleaned up and start again," he said.

Householders were left counting the cost as around 400 homes were evacuated in Bingley, Keighley, Stockbridge and Ilkley.

Lucy Moncaster, of Aire Close at Baildon, lost countless family possessions to the rapidly rising water.

She said: "We called the Environment Agency at midnight on Christmas Day and they told us not to worry, the river has already peaked and it wouldn't get higher so we slept soundly and woke up at 7.30am hearing the sound of water.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A GALLERY OF READERS' FLOOD PICTURES

"After opening the front door, water was barging in and we didn't get chance to save a thing because in a matter of minutes it was knee high.

"Our family home that I have grown up in is destroyed along with all our belongings."

At Esholt, villagers were counting the cost after the second serious flood this month.

Councillor Val Townend (Con, Baildon) has been asked by residents to find out why the council apparently failed to clear a blocked culvert in the village.

"What really concerns me is the forecast for Wednesday which is further rain. Residents feel that if the culvert had been cleared, it may not have overflowed."

West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Angela Williams said: "The flooding situation we have experienced in West Yorkshire is quite simply the worst we have seen in 70 years, according to our partners in the Environment Agency.

"As a result we declared a major incident yesterday evening and received support from the Ministry of Defence who deployed 100 soldiers to assist with emergency and recovery efforts in Calderdale and Leeds.

"I want to reassure residents that emergency services are doing all they can and we will continue to do so until this situation improves."

She added: "We want to thank members of the public for their support working with us, in what has been a truly dreadful and dangerous situation."

Ms Williams advised residents to stay upstairs in flooded properties, to avoid driving through flooding and not to play in flood waters.

Communities rallied round across Bradford to help one another.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A GALLERY OF READERS' FLOOD PICTURES

Michelle Chapman helped set up a Facebook group, Bingley Flood Support Group, and co-ordinated efforts to help those left without heat and electricity.

Volunteers handed out blankets and food parcels from a base at Bingley scout hut.

Mrs Chapman said residents in Ash Grove, Bingley, had reported flood water reaching the top of garage roofs.

"People are still without power," she said today.

"A lot of people have not even come home yet from their Christmas break and seen what has happened."

"Castlefields at Cross Flatts, Wagon Lane and Ash Grove (Bingley) have been really bad. Electricians have been out all day."

Bingley Parish Church opened its doors on Sunday night for anyone stranded by the floods.

And Jamia Masjid Hanfia, in Carlisle Road, Bradford has also been open, offering emergency shelter, food and drinks for anyone in need.

A fundraising webpage has also been set up for people affected by the flooding in Baildon by Maria Glover Crump at www.gofundme.com/57gcwyj2

In Shipley, the Salvation Army has also been helping people.

"The community has stepped up," said volunteer Nat Howard .

"If you are affected by the floods, come down there's loads of support."

Council leader David Green said staff from all departments had been working round the clock to help people in crisis from the floods.

"We’ve had people from all our departments working out there all of Boxing Day, Sunday and they will be all this week. We’ve been working closely with the Environment Agency and the police.

"Elected members have also been out in their communities particularly Keighley, Shipley and Bingley trying to help and I’ve been taking calls and passing them on to our Emergency Co-ordinator who has been working 24 hours a day.

"The problem is that it’s been a totally unprecedented experience. We’ve had a month’s rain in 24 hours. I don’t think anyone could have prepared or predicted what was going to happen. We’ve had lorries out with sandbags and drainage engineers.

"I appreciate there will be some people who feel they are not getting the service they individually need but we are doing our best and will get round to everyone in time."

The emergency number for people to contact Bradford Council for help is 01274 431000. Calls will be collated and linked to emergency teams on the ground, said Cllr Green.

The council's principal engineer for highways structures, John Anderson, said around 300 bridges across the district would be assessed over the coming days.

He said some structures had been damaged by debris floating downstream, including trees and shipping containers. The cost of repairs is not yet known.

The flooding in Shipley was raised at the weekend at the top level emergency COBRA meeting in London after Shipley MP Philip Davies spoke to Floods Minister Rory Stewart MP.

Mr Stewart also confirmed to Mr Davies that Bradford Council would be fully reimbursed for the costs incurred as a result of the flooding.

He also promised that the Shipley constituency would be part of a wider review - in conjunction with the Environment Agency - which is starting straight away to see what future flood defences are required.

Meanwhile, Northern Powergrid has been working to restore power to 37,000 homes across West Yorkshire, with all but 2,600 yet to be restored.

Last night the Met Office issued a yellow alert for more rain across West Yorkshire on Wednesday.

Environment Agency Flood Warnings remained in place for sections of the river Aire in Bradford, Harden Beck at Beckfoot, and the rivers Worth and Spen.