TWO men from Somerset who heroically rescued a 76-year-old pensioner from his house during severe winter floods were honoured at a special ceremony with Prime Minister David Cameron.

Glyn Bowey, 47, of Hemyock, and Dan Langdon, 42, of Taunton, were working near Carlisle shortly before Christmas when the area was battered by torrential rain and gale force winds.

The duo, who both work for the Environment Agency and are normally based at the Bradney depot in Bridgwater, were routinely checking abandoned homes in the flood-hit town of Kendal when they received a call for help from a bungalow in Levens.

The pair responded to the call, and found that a 76-year-old was trapped in his bungalow, with the water quickly rising to four-foot.

The pensioner, called Noel, was trapped in his home without heating or electricity, with water seeping in to the house and rodents taking shelter in his house to get shelter from the storms.

After finding him, Mr Langdon lent the pensioner his waders so he could stay dry, while Mr Bowey went off to fetch the 4x4 car to take them away from the area.

However, the rescue mission was not over. As the water was rising so quickly, Dan was forced to walk in front of the vehicle, constantly testing the water depth, as it crawled away from Kendal. But, the brave duo managed to make it to the next town of Levens, where they were greeted with a huge cheer.

Now, almost five months on from the incident, both Mr Bowey and Mr Langdon were invited to 10 Downing Street for an evening event with the Prime Minister, along with other employees from the Bridgwater depot and from across the country, who thanked them for their efforts during the floods.

Glyn, of Hemyock, said: “We had a great time and were well looked after. It was nice to get past the famous front door.”

The severe storms that hit the north of the country at the end of last year devastated local communities.

The Environment Agency sent more than 140 staff, 16 pumps and over one kilometre of temporary flood barriers to help flood-hit communities in Cumbria. The national body is now encouraging homeowners to make preparations for flooding, and to be aware of possible flood warnings in their local areas.

VFor more information, visit gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.