Cockermouth councillor Alan Kennon has lived by the river all his life.

In 2009 his home on Waterloo Street flooded to a depth of eight feet and he had to be airlifted out.

“I’d seen the river rising before but never as high as it rose in 2009,” he said.

“I was at home.We got the floodgates up and thought that would be ok but the water just kept rising and rising and rising.

“I went next door to help a lady move her furniture upstairs and by the time we’d finished we looked out and the water was two or three feet deep. It all happened very quickly.

“I stayed at home and was eventually lifted out by one of the helicopters at 11 at night. That was a surreal experience floating over a flooded Cockermouth from a helicopter at night.

“I was able to go back to the house quite soon afterwards. It’s a converted warehouse so the ground floor is a garage and is tiled.

“The emergency services were second to none. The mountain rescue team were the first there and they couldn’t have done better. There were emergency crews from all over. Some came from Liverpool. The situation was unprecedented and they all did very well.

“It gets easier as time goes on. We have better flood defences now. I hope it doesn’t happen again but it probably will. Nature will win out at the end of the day.”