FIREFIGHTERS from Gloucestershire have been drafted in to support their colleagues in Somerset after the area was hit by once in a lifetime flooding.

Crews stationed in Cirencester were sent to help with the relief efforts in Taunton last week as a host of other agencies battled to keep floodwaters under control.

Teams from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue headed south on Wednesday, January 29, to help lay hose lines and carry out high volume pumping with local partners from the Environment Agency.

Additional firefighters and the county’s hovercraft teams were also placed on stand-by to provide further assistance if required.

Hovercraft proved invaluable during Gloucestershire's own floods in 2007 because they could operate across areas of low level flooding, which were inaccessible to boats and vehicles.

GCC’s cabinet member for fire and planning Will Windsor-Clive, said: “I’m pleased that, once again, the skills and experience of Gloucestershire's fire service are being used to benefit other counties.”

Chief fire officer Jon Hall said: "We have become very used to assisting other services around the country, this being the fourth occasion in the past year.

“Similarly, with our own experience of flooding, we know how important it is to receive external support when local resources become stretched."