A TORRENTIAL downpour in Tavistock last Thursday morning caused flooding in a number of the town's shops and businesses.
Tavistock Fire Service was first called out to the Home and Gift Shop in Duke Street, where a drain at the back of the building was unable to take the amount of water.
One fire appliance attended and the crew was able to resolve the problem, but carpets had to be lifted, and there was some damage to stock. The shop had to be closed for some time.
The fire crew was then called out to Mansbridge and Balment, Brook Street, where the rear entrance to the office had become flooded. The crew used a light portable pump and sandbags until the water abated.
The fire service was also called out to WH Smith which had water lapping up to its doors. Sandbags were called for but were not deployed as the water level gradually receded.
In the mid-afternoon, the fire crew was called out to a basement flat in Plymouth Road, where the water level in the kitchen had reached four inches. The crew was in attendance for around an hour and portable pumps were again used to empty water from the kitchen.