Woman pensioner found dead in flooded North Wales house - The Times (subscription)

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The body of an elderly woman was pulled today from a flooded house in North Wales after a swollen river burst its banks.

The woman was found dead in the beleaguered city of St Asaph, Denbighshire, where hundreds of people were urged to flee their water-logged homes.

"Local officers from the emergency services who were conducting house to house checks discovered the body of the woman at noon today," a North Wales Police spokesman said.

The force said that the death was being treated as unexplained and an investigation had been launched but there were no suspicious circumstances. Next of kin have been informed.

Another three people have died since the latest bout of wet weather struck.

Figures show that around 960 properties have flooded since last Wednesday and around 900 people have left their homes.

A further 500 people living in St Asaph were encouraged to pack their bags today and move in with friends or family until the risk subsided.

The Elwy, which was still rising this afternoon, has reached a record high of 14ft 3in (4.35m) at St Asaph, making it more than 3ft (1m) deeper than its previous record of 11ft 4in (3.47m) in November 2009. Typically, the river level at this spot varies between 3ft (0.90m) and 6ft 7in (2.02m).

The Environment Agency has issued two severe flood warnings in Wales - one for St Asaph - indicating a potential danger to life.

The muddy waters engulfed a housing estate below St Asaph, in Denbighshire, in the early hours with such speed that many residents who had earlier dismissed the threat had to be rescued by emergency services.

Urgent flood waters created an alternative 'river' along the A525 which took everything along it from a lorry container spewing its contents to sawdust bales, a dining table, crates, and a profusion of wheelie bins.

The slipways from the neighbouring A55, north Wales' major road, were shut off as firemen and RNLI rescue crews ferried residents, many of them elderly, and some pregnant, to dry land.

Anthony Kirkham, 63, and his wife, Margaret, had ignored the Environment Agency's repeated warnings to evacuate their properties and had to be rescued by a boat when the water level hit 14ft 3in - 3ft deeper than its previous record in November 2009.

He said: "We received the first flood alert at around midnight. They woke us up. They told us to evacuate and move to the local school but I am afraid we ignored their advice.

"We have had three or four situations like this over the past 25 years but it has never come up so far and so fast before."

Mr Kirkham was told by his son that the water was rising 15 centimetres every quarter of an hour: "He said it would arrive at 5am - he was spot on. It was about two feet deep.

"We moved as much as we possibly could but you cannot move the heavy things. We have just redecorated. Now we will need to replace the new sideboard, television, table, shelving and carpets".

Mandy Williams, 51, who sought refuge at the leisure centre with her husband Eric, 61, said she fears she has lost everything in their bungalow.

"I was woken up at 6.30am," she said. "They had been trying to get in touch with me overnight but we did not hear the phone. As soon as the door opened - within ten minutes of getting up - the water was through the house. I have lost everything. I am in shock - I'm numb."

Although forecasters have offered some hope of respite - with rain predicted to ease off - the Environment Agency (EA) warned of a continued flooding threat across north east England, North Wales and Northamptonshire.

River levels are set to peak in the next 48 hours, putting further properties at risk, with the Thames, Trent and the Severn deemed to be of particular concern.

Rising groundwater levels are also threatening to leave homes in Winterbourne Abbas, Dorset, under water.

Meanwhile, David Cameron promised to take a "tough approach" on negotiations with insurers over homes in danger of flooding.

As many as 200,000 high-risk properties could be priced out of affordable cover when a deal struck in 2000 between the then Labour government and insurers ends next summer. The Government has been in talks for two years but as yet an agreement has not been reached.