BOATS were used to evacuate old people as floods hit the Dearne and homes went under water.

Wath-upon-Dearne and Bolton-upon-Dearne suffered the most when the River Dearne and Brooke Dyke burst their banks on Monday.

The Old Moor wetlands rose five feet pouring water into the river and Manvers lake, which then overflowed into Wath.

An old railway cottage in Station Road, Wath-upon-Dearne was flooded for the first time in its history.

“I’ve been here for over 40 years and it’s never flooded, but they’ve put drains in for the new houses and the lake,” said the angry owner as he drove away.

Brooke Dyke is always expected to flood, but nobody anticipated the double problem of water rising from two directions and all the sports fields and houses in Moor Road were deep in water.

Water rose three feet to flood Mill Cottage for the second time in a week when the dyke broke its banks and closed off the main roads into Wath, submerging two cars at Townend and another in Station Road.

The two mile lake which had formed across the valley between Bolton and High Melton reached houses in Lowfield Road, Bolton and the river burst into homes in Mexborough Road on Tuesday. An ancient bridge between Adwick and Harlington has been washed away.

Coun Ken Sanderson had provided support in Bolton throughout Monday and Tuesday and praised the community spirit.

“It’s terrible, but it’s been good to see everyone pulling together,” he said.