THE flooding that Herefordshire has feared since the start of winter swamped the county yesterday (Wednesday).

Worst hit was Hereford, gridlocked at the time of going to press as a rising River Wye threatened Belmont roundabout.

Neighbouring Hinton Road and Holme Lacy Road were already under water

With the closure of Greyfriars Bridge about to be confirmed, emergency vehicles stood ready to use the Great Western Way to get across the city.

Many people opted to walk the same route rather than risk the drive home.

Traffic diversions were to be set up - where possible - in time for rush hour.

At 2.30pm the Wye was running at 16.9ft and expected to reach a high of 17ft within two hours.

The first signs of trouble came just after 11am when firefighters were called in to ferry stranded residents from the Manor Rest Home at Lower Bullingham.

By then the Wye had already spilled over its banks and into the immediate surrounds.

The first reports of flooded basements in St Martins were quick in coming.

Beyond the city, Bridge Sollars was also badly hit, along with Letton, where fire fighters plucked the driver of a poultry transporter with 6,000 birds on board from 3ft of rising floodwater on the A438.

The rescuers used an off-road vehicle, specifically designed for flood emergencies, to reach the stranded man just after 2am.

Taking 60 flood-related calls an hour, Herefordshire Council set up its 01432 260260 emergency floodline with updates available on the www.herefordshire.gov.uk website.

Hereford MP Paul Keetch yesterday (Wednesday) invited Elliot Morley, the government minister for flooding, to see the disruption for himself.

Mr Morley has been lobbied by local interest groups to speed up the implementation of a new flood defence system for the city.