More than 200 sets of firefighting kit used in flood relief work are to be shipped off for professional cleaning.

Between 9am and midnight on Monday, June 25, West Yorkshire fire crews responded to 1,000 calls to flooding, including 20 rescues.

Stephen Hardy, a spokesman for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the suits had become contaminated with sewage and flood water. Fire services are on alert again this weekend with more rain forecast.

On Monday, the downpour led the service to issue an emergencies only' plea to callers as staff at Birkenshaw, fielded 200 calls an hour. Calls were even received from South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Crews rescued one person in Cleckheaton and two in Heckmondwike from cars and were forced to evacuate residents across the district.

Mr Hardy said: "Normally, the suits get sent off for cleaning every now and then - we sent some away last week so they will have come back by now. We usually send off 80 suits at a time, but this time we will be sending off 200."