HOMES were evacuated in Upton-upon-Severn yesterday as the flood waters rose to their highest for 10 years - and went on rising.

The community rescue boat was brought in by firefighters to help evacuate three houses in New Street on Thursday lunchtime.

Alan and Lesley Probert, who have lived there for six years and are used to seeing an inch of water in the kitchen, decided it was time to move out when water burst through the floor.

"The floor exploded," said Mrs Probert, "There's two feet of water outside the flood door and that's going to break through at any moment."

Further up New Street, deputy mayor Roger Barker was pumping four inches of water out of his garage at the Old Fire Station.

"It is the first time it has flooded since I came here in 1993," he said.

After just nine weeks at the King's Head, new landlord Grahame Burn had water in the kitchen, cellar and toilets, but was still serving beer to customers willing to wade to his riverside bar.

At the Swan Inn, usually the first to get the deluge, caretakers Joseph and Audrey Carr had a boat moored at the back door and needed waders to get into the bar, which was under 4ft of water.

"We've been closed since Monday night. The water is up to the window ledges and has already passed the 1995 high water mark," said Mrs Carr.

Next door, September Cottage appeared to be high and dry, but the water had seeped in through the floors and walls, flooding the hall, kitchen and sitting room.

Owners Sue and Peter Davies are used to coping with floods, having previously kept the Swan for 33 years, but Mr Davies said: "This is the worst I have seen it since the Sixties."

A woman in her eighties had to be evacuated from her East Waterside home to Malvern's Storer Court.