ROAD closures and localised flooding brought parts of Teesside to a standstill this week.

East Cleveland was particularly badly hit with Loftus completely cut off for a while due to flooded roads, and the main street at nearby Carlin How underwater with several properties flooded.

The main road from Middlesbrough to Redcar was closed outside Steel House, and traffic to Redcar brought the A174 to a standstill at rush hour on Tuesday night.

Police said they were also monitoring properties at Cowpen Bewley, near Billingham, and Aislaby village, near Yarm, which were believed to be at risk from rising floodwater.

The A689 was closed near Wynyard and some of the slip roads on to the A19 near Billingham, which caused lengthy tailbacks on the A177 road between Sedgefield and Stockton.

Green Lane in Yarm, outside Conyers School, was also closed for a while.

Firefighters were called to Durham Road, Stockton, to rescue a motorist left stranded by rising floodwaters.

Carlin How village, between Brotton and Loftus, saw floodwater from overflowing drains seep into a garage and several homes as well as flooding the cellar at the working men’s club and cutting power to some properties.

Club secretary Steve Waite said the cellar was under five feet of water. He said: “There has been a big impact all around but there’s been a good effort from everybody. People from all over the village have been helping each other.”

Graham Cutler of Cuts Tyres and Exhausts in Carlin How said his garage was knee-deep in water.

“This happened in 2000 and it is happening again. It is like reliving a nightmare,” he said.

Nearby, Lee Kilvington was watching the water rise almost to his doorstep, with his 18- month-old daughter.

Darlington and Stockton Times: WET GOING: Head groundsman Ian Ward wades through floodwater on the track following torrential rain at Wetherby RacecourseWET GOING: Head groundsman Ian Ward wades through floodwater on the track following torrential rain at Wetherby Racecourse

“I’m not too worried yet,” he said. “We’ve not moved our valuables upstairs yet but if it gets much higher we will do.”

Shirley Hutchinson, a lollipop lady at the local school, said there had only been a foot of water on the road in the morning when she set out to work, but by the time she had returned she had to get a lift through back to her home.

Workmen were pumping the water out of the village.