HEAVY rain caused the River Wharfe to burst its banks, left farm animals stranded and flooded homes on Sunday.

Red flood warnings were issued at Otley and Pool-in-Wharfedale on Saturday morning and before the weekend was out homes in Castley were flooded.

These included a house where a pensioner was drowned in his living room five years ago in a similar flooding.

Eight pigs drowned when the waters rose rapidly and flooded farm buildings in Castley Lane, and on another farm one sheep drowned and others had to be rescued from rising waters.

The Castley incident brought a renewed call for a flood barrier scheme, which had been proposed nine years ago but dropped in the face of public opposition.

In Otley, the river overflowed into Wharfemeadows Park and residents in Bridge Street were put on to red alert.

Wharfedale boats, which operated from the park, lost six pedal-operated boats and a rowing boat, which were swept downstream and vanished. Owner David Asquith spent part of this week rowing as far as Arthington Viaduct in a bid to find them.

Sports grounds were under water all over Wharfedale and the weekend cricket programme took a pasting. The moor road between Hawksworth and Menston had water on it but was passable.

The road between Otley and Ilkley was flooded and an emergency team was put on standby at Ilkley amid fears that the river might burst its banks there, too.

Some roads in Ilkley had to be closed on Sunday morning along with New Brook Street Bridge and Old Stone Bridge.

Underground streams flooded cellars of some buildings in Addingham and the village's Royal British Legion was forced to close. Ilkley's open air swimming pool, which was filled up for the summer season only a week ago, had floodwater pouring into it.

And at Burley-in-Wharfedale, several gardens of homes in the village were damaged when a beck overflowed.

l Full Otley flooding story - Page 3

l More flood pictures and Wharfedale round-up - Page 11.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.