A Landlady was heartbroken today after losing her battle against the flooding River Derwent at Stamford Bridge.

DAMPENED SPIRITS: Paul Townsend, landlord of the Swordsman pub in Stamford Bridge, in his flooded storeroom Picture: David Harrison

The Swordsman pub was again inundated today, only 13 months after being swamped in the great floods of 1999.

Landlady Karen Townsend, who took over the pub one year ago yesterday, told how she battled for four hours with a pump to keep the water out of the building, but was eventually beaten by the forces of nature.

"We managed to finish the evening's trading last night, but before we went to bed it was in the front and back. We have got about four inches all the way through the pub.

"We worked so hard to keep it out."

"The brewery, Sam Smith's, and the Environment Agency did everything they could to try and keep it out but you cannot fight nature."

Karen said the flood had ruined anniversary celebrations she had planned. "We have been here exactly a year to the day yesterday. We were going to have a party but we were so busy."

The floodwaters in Stamford Bridge were expected to peak this afternoon. But householders in Norton and Malton were breathing a collective sigh of relief today after their homes escaped being flooded and as the levels of the Derwent started to fall.

Amber warnings were issued by the Environment Agency yesterday afternoon for homes in Welham Road, Norton, as river levels rose under the bridge that connects the two Ryedale towns.

But the floodwaters failed to reach the homes and businesses that were hit by last year's floods.

Barry Coning, whose diesel fuel injection business was affected last year, said: "I'm just very relieved. If it rains we're always worried. Until the Environment Agency gets its finger out and does something, we're always worried."

Welham Road resident Kath Youngson, whose home was flooded for a week last year, said: "It's got to come out into the road before we get worried. When it starts to do that we'll take stuff upstairs. We're quite used to it now. It's the third year running and we could be in this same position next week if it carries on raining.

"We're keeping an eye out and don't go far from home." She said the multi-million pound plan announced by the Environment Agency to tackle flooding on the Derwent would not help homes in Welham Road, where the flooding was caused by a culvert.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.