RESIDENTS are being urged to avoid Northwich town centre following Storm Christoph's heavy rain.

Businesses have been badly affected in the aftermath of Wednesday's heavy rain while roads are flooded.

Roads currently closed include London Road, The Bull Ring, Chesterway, Hayhurst Bridge and Town Bridge.

Supt Simon Parsonage said: “We strongly advise that you avoid the area. We can’t stress enough the importance of staying away.

Northwich Guardian:

"Those trying to access the town centre are finding themselves stuck in the one way system and unable to turn round. So please avoid the area.

“This is a fast moving incident and emergency services and other agencies including Chester West and Chester and the Environment Agency are working hard to keep people safe.

"Please follow the advice given by all agencies and avoid travelling.”

Northwich Guardian:

Cheshire Police declared a major incident on Wednesday as it evacuated 33 residents from houseboats at Hayhurst Marina following heavy rain.

With river levels high across town and roads being closed due to flooding at night, the rain turned to snow as Christoph brought a bizarre blizzard to the north west.

But this morning, residents and business owners have woken up to severe flooding throughout the town centre.

Northwich Guardian:

In a tweet sent to the Guardian, a Northwich Fireplace Centre spokesman said: “Terrible morning for our business again. Lockdowns are bad enough now this.”

Vision Express was hit badly by flooding back in autumn 2019, and this morning’s scenes are a repeat.

In a post on Facebook, the team said: “It’s happened again. Unfortunately we have no access to the store and this may be the case for the next few days.”

Northwich Guardian:

Some businesses, including Leaders estate agents, are reporting having no power following the storm.

Traffic is moving slowly through the town centre as cars struggle to pass through flooded roads, particularly around London Road.

Follow the latest on our live blog here.