THIS week marks a decade since devastating floods brought Worcestershire to its knees.

2007 was Britain's wettest May to July since records began in 1776, causing destruction across the country.

Over the next two weeks, we are looking back at the floods and how things have changed since.

Here is the second piece, focusing on Worcestershire spa town, Droitwich.

ALMOST 100 Droitwich properties, including homes and businesses, were hit with water, at about 15ft (4.57m) deep.

Some 52 commercial properties around High Street and leisure centre were hit as well as 42 homes in Vines Lane, Hunters Way, The Firs and Swan Drive.

The High Street flooded overnight on Thursday, July 19 2007 and lasted several days.

The town saw about 98mm of rainfall, over twice the July average, in just one day.

Firefighters carried residents living above the street's shops to safety during a rescue operation on Friday, July 20.

Residents living near the river Salwarpe in Droitwich also experienced problems when the waterway broke its banks.

Well-known Droitwich pensioner Nellie Copson who had lived in a flat in the High Street all her life was evacuated and taken to a rest centre at the spa's heritage centre. The 92-year-old died almost three years later on March 11 2011.

A rest centre was set up at Droitwich Community Hall to support people being directed off the M5, as the floods were causing issues on the motorway network.

Wychavon District Council staff and the Salvation Army initially set up the centre to direct people to accommodation in and around the town but later it was also used as a resting spot.

Worcestershire County Councillor and Droitwich Town Councillor Richard Morris, who was Droitwich Mayor at the time of the floods, said: "It is a memory that will forever be etched in my memory, a time when travesty struck but our great community came together.

"I remember the rotary and I taking fish and chips out to some people who were flooded.

"It was only a month after the lido had reopened," he added.

Cllr Morris, alongside Droitwich Spa Rotary Club and Droitwich Lions Club launched a flood fund, which raised £8,700.

Initially, the money was for emergency food, goods and taxis but left-over funds were given to those affected by the floods, in lump sums and respite holidays to Blackpool.

Cllr Morris said that blocked drains had exacerbated the floods and that reopening of Droitwich canal had strengthened the town's defences.

His Royal Highness Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex, visited Droitwich in January 2008 to see the destruction caused by the floods. He later returned to Droitwich in November 2011 to see how the town had recovered from the flood troubles of 2007.