MONDAY was an extremely busy day for Minehead firefighters tackling severe flooding and a house fire.

At 1pm both crews dealt with a flooded property in Periton Way, Minehead, using pumps and cleaning out ditches and grills before attending another property in Lower Park.

On return to the station the crews were then immediately back out attending a house fire in Wouldham Road, Watchet.

After dealing with this the crew were then called to assist a driver trapped in rising flood water on the A39 who had been washed over by a passing driver moving too fast.

There was severe flooding on the road as the River Avill had burst it banks at Packhorse Bridge in Dunster and run onto the showground.

Cars were left queueing as Highways and firefighters worked to make sure vehicles passed through safely.

A spokesman for Minehead Fire Station said: "We were told roads were impassable near Dunster which meant the alternative route was closed.

"We appreciate everyone needs to get home and empathise entirely, but bad language directed to crews and venting at us will not stop the flow of water.

"We do our best but have limits - stopping Mother Nature is not something we can do.

"Our Pumping equipment cannot pump at the same volume or compete with a river in full flood.

"Thanks however to all of those who understood and were patient."