FAMILY homes and businesses throughout Worcester have been calling in the fire brigade to help start the massive flood clear-up operation.

As the waters finally receded, firefighters moved in to start draining cellars and basements of the floodwater.

In some parts of the city, firefighters were not required as the River Severn has not yet receded enough to begin the mopping up.

"There's nowhere to pump the water to," said Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade press officer Alec Mackie.

"There was not a great deal done in the Waverley Street and Diglis Road area because there is still water in the road and on the pavement.

"I daresay it will have dropped overnight and we are available to help people as water levels go down."

Mr Mackie said basements were one of the major problems especially if there were electrics that could get wet.

During yesterday's operation, the fire brigade pumped 100,000 gallons of water out of the basement of the Severn View Hotel in Worcester in two shifts, working late into the evening.

"All the water that was in the building has receded into the cellar - there's certainly a lot of water down there and of course it's starting to smell now," said Mr Mackie.

In Upton-upon-Severn, the water again stopped operations proceeding.

"There's still a lot of water on roads and on properties - everything's waterlogged," said Mr Mackie.

"It's impossible to say when levels will recede - how long's a piece of string? The people of Upton are being very phlegmatic about it - they're now in their third week of flooding."

Bewdley homes on Severnside North and Severnside South were also inspected but not much work was required.

"Because they don't have cellars, once the water has left there are no pumping requirements," said Mr Mackie.

Mr Mackie said the clean-up operation would last for a long time but the good news was the weather seemed to be on our side.

"We shall have some people out again today and we will be prioritising the greatest needs - they are all greatest needs - but we will do our level best.

"We're on stand-by for the rest of the week. We're really dependent on Mother Nature and whether water levels go down. It's gone colder which is usually a good sign because it means a high pressure is coming in."

A SECTION of riverside road which collapsed at Bewdley during the weekend may remain closed to motor vehicles until next spring.

Severnside North collapsed in three places from localised subsidence due to the washing out of the sand under the surface. Part of the quayside wall also collapsed into the river.

"It's not impossible that it could be closed until the spring," said Worcestershire County Council's Head of Highways Jeff Romanis.

"With that sort of work you have to do it from the river and with winter coming there's no real safe time to do that."

Mr Romanis said no further subsidence had taken place since the initial collapse but a very close eye was being kept on it.

"We're keeping an eye on it at regular six-hour intervals. One or two more experts are going to see it today to inspect the damage. As the river goes down we can see more and assess what needs to be done," he added.

Severnside North resident Louise Edginton, a town councillor, said since the collapse ,things were much quieter along the riverside road, which was normally open to traffic.

"I don't think it's caused disruption at all - it's very quiet," she added. "It would be nice to have it pedestrianised anyway!"

But Ray and Margaret Walsh, who are tenants of the Mug House pub in Severnside North, would not agree.

Desperately trying to clean up after being under six foot of water for two weeks, efforts are being hampered by the road closure.

"The road's blocked off and they're not allowing any transport of any size down here," said Mr Walsh who has owned the pub lease for 11 years with his wife.

"The clean-up people are having to carry all their stuff down by hand and all the rubbish and refuse is having to be carried out on foot. It's a big problem."