Members of Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team were on standby during the flooding at Glenridding. Photo: Langdale Ambleside MRT

A Lake District mountain rescue team was called out overnight to help residents in a nearby village which flooded for the second time four days.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by fire and rescue crews about 8.40pm on Wednesday after homes and businesses in Glenridding were flooded.

The team said several properties were flooding when its members arrived at the scene and the river was flowing down the lane next to the beck and on to the main road.

Team leader Mike Blakey said: “When the team arrived the fire and rescue service was completing its checks of all residents living in the area. We assisted with this and subsequent checks and then went, at the request of local people, to check other properties in the surrounding area.

“Given the initial reports of the possible scale of the incident, and multiple road closures, we called for assistance from our sister teams of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association. Langdale Ambleside MRT and Penrith MRT came to assist us with additional trained swiftwater rescue technicians and stood by until the early hours of the morning. This is our normal procedure in an unusual or major incident and worked exceptionally well.

“Initially the water posed too much of a risk for people to cross and we were therefore helping to maintain a cordon around the area at the request of the police and fire service.”

Mr Blakey said mountain rescuers later revisited properties with fire service crews and reassured residents they could get to them if they needed anything during the night.

He said: “The guys from Beckside Construction have been doing a tremendous job with digging out the river channel since Monday. They have given their time and equipment at no charge to the community and have done an amazing job.

“It was tragic that this flood happened again before all of that work had been completed successfully. All credit to them and all the other people in the village who have been working so hard.

“Some team members will be offering additional support to the community if there are things we can do to help today. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these tragic circumstances.

“This community is strong and will pull together again to make sure everything returns to normal as quickly as possible.

“Like all of the other LDSAMRA teams who have been exceptionally busy, Patterdale MRT has attended over 50 incidents in the last 100 hours, including evacuating a pregnant woman, dealing with a heart attack patient and evacuating a care home in Appleby.

“We have also undertaken multiple flood rescues and assisted the steamer Lady Wakefield when she suffered damage to her hull and began taking on water after breaking moorings on Ullswater.

“On Saturday we plan to put our base back together after the damage from the flood and try and sort all of our equipment.”

The team said at its height the water was carrying fridges and freezers and dumping them in doorways and in the middle of the road.

Cumbria Constabulary said about 50mm of rain fell overnight in Glenridding. Superintendent Justin Bibby said: “As part of the multi-agency response to this week’s flooding across Cumbria, we were set to respond to the further heavy rainfall predicted for last night.

“I am pleased to say that the response was quick to last night’s flooding and multi-agency partners were able to reassure the community of Glenridding that everything was in place, and being done, to ensure their safety throughout the operation.”

Police said that, while river levels are expected to recede today, flood water still poses a danger and they asked members of the public not to walk or travel through any flood water.

Glenridding Bridge has been assessed this morning by structural engineers and has been confirmed as safe for opening to all traffic. The main route north-east out of the Ullswater valley remains impassable after Pooley Bridge was swept away at the weekend.