The AA SORT team (Special Operations Response Team) has been working flat out in Cumbria over the last few days in the severe floods.

The specially adapted AA Land Rovers have been able to access areas inaccessible to most vehicles. An additional challenge today has been speed of access to certain areas due to the closure of bridges for safety reasons.

Darron Burness, Special Operations Response Team manager, said this morning:” Getting around Cumbria is now a challenge due to the understandable closure of bridges for good safety reasons. We are now deploying some patrols to Workington to help recover some of the hundreds of stranded cars.

“We are also getting reports of serious flooding in Wales so some special SORT vehicles will be deployed there.

“Yesterday the main street in Cockermouth looked like a ‘war zone’ – cars in shops, windows broken, street surface lifted. The number of abandoned and damaged vehicles across Cumbria is significant and this will take some time to clear. We are working 24 hours a day to help out.”

Edmund King, AA president said: "The AA has our special flood assist SORT team in Cumbria helping the police and emergency services. Our patrols have broadened out yesterday from assisting breakdowns to offering full emergency help from clearing cars to delivering food and drink to stranded members of the public.

They are also helping the RSPCA access buildings to save animals and pets. They are working flat out in terrible conditions.

The Prime Minister thanked the AA's Darron Burness and John Brookes for the help that their team are giving. Our AA SORT team has specially adapted Land Rovers to deal with flood conditions and they are able to get to parts that other vehicles can not reach."