Flash flooding in Ashtead, Leatherhead and Banstead meant residents and business owners were left stranded on Monday night, as Surrey Fire and Rescue received a 'large number' of calls.

The Epsom Guardian received reports of overflowing drains and rain-covered streets caused by an unseasonal downpour between 6pm and 10pm.

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Flooding outside of Shakespeare & Co Coffee Shop in Ashtead

The Met Office since issued a yellow warning for more heavy rain over the coming days, sparking fears of a repeat of the 2013 floods which hit the area, felling numerous trees and temporarily cutting off electricity.

Tom Nash, owner of Shakespeare & Co Coffee Shop in Barnett Wood Lane, said: "We were trapped in the shop until about 10pm. There was so much rain we couldn’t get out and no-one could get in.

"There was about 10 inches of water all across the pavement. It shut down all the businesses around here like ours.

"We stay open late selling pizza but we couldn’t get a single customer in the doors after it started pouring, it was that bad."

Surrey Fire and Rescue attended a number of flooded areas, including Barnett Wood Lane, and drained the excess water on some of the worst-affected roads.

 


 

Mr Nash said: "This truck with a special drain came along at about 10pm and it sucked all the rainwater off the streets, and out of the gutters."

A Surrey County Council spokesperson said on Tuesday: "We were called to an incident in Ashtead that saw flooding across the carriageway and footpaths yesterday evening following persistent heavy rain.

"We attended the scene to pump the water and ensured all drains in the area were cleared so the roads could return to normal.

"We'd also urge any residents to alert us to any problems caused by adverse weather by calling us or reporting issues online."

Ashtead resident Robin Dunham said: "It started raining in the mid-afternoon and it didn’t stop for ages - at one stage it was absolutely torrential. It was pretty epic.

"Cars couldn’t help but run into these huge puddles and they were creating these huge splashes on passers-by and all up the shop windows.

"God knows what would have happened if a car had aquaplaned. There’s a school just down the road and a load of parked cars along the road. It could have been mayhem."