More than seventy calls have been made to the fire service since 4am this morning because of flooding.

In the last eight hours Essex County Fire and Rescue Service crews have been called out to flood incidents across Essex, including in Debden.

Firefighters have been pumping water from flooded homes and rescuing motorists.

Police are also advising motorists not to attempt to drive through flood water.

A spokesman said: “If you come across a flooded road, you should only attempt to drive through if you are certain that it is not too deep

“Many cars will start to float in as little as 12 inches of water.

“Just an egg cupful of water ingested into the combustion chamber is sufficient to destroy an engine.”

Other advice includes warning people not to drive through fast-moving water, such as at a flooded bridge approach, as cars can be swept away even at modest depths.