Heartache and joy as pets are rescued in flooded Wainfleet

Volunteers assisted with the precious cargo, using an inflatable kayak along Brewster Lane.

Warm and dry was Mr T the tortoise, who was rescued by his owners Jean and Kevin Hunt, along with the family cat Aurora.

Jean, who took refuge on the dryer end of the road with friends Ray and Jane Quinton, said: "My husband managed to rescue the cat but if we had left Mr T he would have drowned - so we did what we had to do.

"We waded through the water to the house and a neighbour helped us with an inflatable and we were able to bring Mr T back.

"He was very cold and wet but we warmed him up and he started to eat and he's doing fine now.

"Aurora is a house cat, so this has been a lot for her, but the main thing is they are fine."

Jean said there was no time to think when the emergency services knocked on the door to evacuate them.

"It was midnight and we had to go with what we had on," she said.; Fortunately we were able to stay with friends - we can't thank Ray and Jane enough.

"People have been amazing - people we don't even know."

The home the couple spent their pension on making comfortable for their retirement is completely flooded. "Everything is gone - we've spent a lot on it doing ot up and putting bathroom downstairs for when we are older.

"In the 40 years we have lived here we haven't known anything like it. But no-one has died - we are fine and so are our animals, which is the important thing."

* See our live video with Jane and Mr T on the Standard Facebook page.