CALLS have been made for those responsible for flood prevention to do more after a heavy storm caused flash flooding.

During the deluge last Wednesday, drains backed up and some businesses had to put out sandbags to prevent water getting into their properties.

Wentworth Street car park in Malton saw water levels rising, with several cars in around a foot of standing water. One onlooker said the water rose in the space of ten minutes.

Di Keal, town and district councillor for Norton West, said: “The sort of weather we have seen recently - hot weather periods followed by torrential downpours that lead to flash flooding - is the forecasters tell us set to become the pattern in years to come.

“These huge rain storms just emphasise the need for North Yorkshire County Council, the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water to take urgent action to prevent further flooding incidents.”

She added: “In desperation the town councils are now looking at ways to support their residents during flood incidents.”

Scarborough saw particularly bad flooding. Manhole covers burst off and roads become rivers.

The county council said that the average recorded rainfall for Scarborough in August is 64mm. Rainfall gauges in the town recorded between 30mm and40mm in just a few hours on Wednesday.

Fire services said that in the space of two hours they received about 60 reports of flooding to properties in various areas of Scarborough.

Around 50 fire crew members attended incidents, helping rescue people trapped in cars and saving vulnerable residents from flooded homes.