YORK'S flooding River Ouse appears to have peaked this morning at 4.22 metres above normal summer levels, leaving Skeldergate blocked and riverside businesses inundated.

A wall of sandbags built in the Clementhorpe area, accompanied by pumps, is protecting homes in streets such as River Street.

More sandbags and pumps are at the entrance to Tower Gardens, helping to protect Tower Street and nearby homes from flooding.

In the St George's Field car park, a van is still stuck up to its engine in floodwaters, while a car parked next to it had been towed from the car park last night.

In Skeldergate, a walkway has been constructed to ensure residents can get to and from their riverside flats.

The Kings Arms, The Lowther and Plonkers were three riverside businesses badly affected by flooding.

However, with fine weather settling in, the floodwaters are now expected to recede gradually - a very different scenario to exactly 20 years ago, when the Ouse reached a record 5.4 metres above normal and hundreds of properties were flooded.