HIGH winds and ferocious floods left the district reeling over the Bank Holiday weekend in what has been described as the area's worst weather since the 1970s.

Several business suffered from severe flooding while residents at a residential care home were placed on stand-by to evacuate.

Macintyre Care Residential Home, in Station Road, Wheathamstead suffered badly when the river which runs through the home's garden, burst its banks and seeped in to the driveway.

Area manager Andy Dorney said the water poured into the cellar of the former T.Potts cafe at the front of the building.

Fire crews from St Albans, Wheathampstead and Stevenage arrived at 10.30am on Monday and spent the next nine hours pumping water out of the flooded cellar. When the water eventually subsided, the home's maintenance man continued pumping water out of the cellar until 5.30am on Tuesday.

St Albans District Councillor Chris Oxley, said: "At least eight properties were affected. The river came right over the road. The damage was quite significant. I have not seen it so bad in 34 years.

Rachel Jeffrey, who sells jewellery from a workshop near the swelling River Lee, added: "It was flooding straight through the shop. In places it was a couple of feet deep. My brother was there and lots of friends were helping. Thank goodness jewellery is waterproof - we only had damage to the cabinets.

"It took four or five hours to get all the water out. Luckily the workshop was not so badly affected - I am looking out for ducks wearing diamond necklaces."

Meanwhile diners at The Bull pub, in High Street, were disconcerted to see water leaking through the walls. A member of staff said: "Part of the restaurant is below street level and at about 4pm the water started coming through the walls."

Elsewhere in the district, a teacher had a lucky escape when the high winds sent a huge tree crashing into her car in Church Street, St Albans. Speaking about Saturday's blustery weather, Daniella Shergold, said: "One of the huge trees opposite blew down and speared through the windscreen of my car.

"The rest of the tree landed on the bonnet, sliding onto the ground in front of my car. "Had I been getting out the car or indeed my young daughter had been in the passenger seat, it doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened."