Councillor Ray Sanderson, who chairs the Malmesbury flood alleviation working party, said: “I was up at 4.30am with the mayor sorting out gel sacks.

“The sluice gates are open to the maximum that we are happy with.

“We can’t open them anymore because we will create more flooding problems in Little Somerford.

“My advice is to listen to the flood warnings by The Environment Agency and to move furniture to higher ground.”