THE River Avon has burst its banks in Malmesbury leaving residents dealing with flooding for the second Christmas in a row.

The A433 at Doughton is also blocked as overnight storms left residents waking to a repeat of last year's floods.

Residents living in homes on the high street, close to the town bridge, have been affected with people saying that their properties have been penetrated by inches of water.

However, it is thought that the worst of the flooding has already passed.

The Warden and Freemen have been at the scene of the floods since approximately 11.30pm last night trying to help residents pump water out of their homes.

Steve Pagington, a Warden and Freemen member, said: "The brigade were trying to pump the houses out but as fast as they were pumping it out, it was coming back in."

The Bristol Road between Malmesbury and Sherston is also shut due to surface water.

It is also reported that the manager of the local Co-Op store had provided those hit by floods with essential supplies.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said that by 4.30am on Christmas Eve it had received around 230 calls and were dealing with multiple incidents simultaneously.

The worst affected places were Bradford-on-Avon, Fovant and the Chippenham area. Crews from Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge and Corsham dealt with flooding in Bath Road, Bradford-on-Avon.

Area Manager Julain Parsons said: "Our crews have worked incredibly hard in really difficult conditions and we have been successful either preventing or mitigating the damage to numerous properties.

"It has also been a challenging night for our Fire Control Operators who have had to prioritise this unusually high demand. They are skilled in identifying the most vulnerable and at risks persons that need our services.

"It means that not everyone can get help from us straight away and we always ask callers to be patient when we have to prioritise other callers."

More details to follow.

Send your flooding pictures to wgsnews@wiltsglosstandard.co.uk.