Animals rescued from floods by farm neighbours

Joanna Johnson started to break down in tears as she told the PA news agency how 50 neighbours turned up at Moreteyne’s Retreat in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, at 8pm on Sunday in response to an emergency WhatsApp message she had sent.

The 54-year-old said her miniature ponies had to swim out of the flood water and the sheep were dragged through to safety.

It comes after parts of Britain were struck by flash floods after some areas saw more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.

Members of the community and emergency services were helping at the farm until about 4am, building temporary pens for some of the animals by the roadside and finding short-term places for the others, including a school playground for two ponies.

Ms Johnson said parts of the farm had flooded in January this year but this time the whole farm was under water.

She said: “We’ve spent the last five years building the place up, we opened it up for free for the villagers after Covid, we were hoping to do that more often as there’s so many families that can’t afford to go to a farm.

“We flooded in January this year and the fire brigade got all the animals out, they were here for 12 hours.

“Yesterday it was like a river coming off the A421 and then the pond burst and within 15 minutes the entire farm was under water.

“I put a message out online and the villagers flocked here so fast.

“The miniature ponies had to swim out.

“The only way we could save the sheep was to pull them out the water.

“I felt so helpless.

“My eldest ewe collapsed last night and I didn’t think she was going to make it but she’s up and about now.

“The animals are alive at the moment, I’m now desperately trying to find a piece of land I can leave them on over the winter where they will be safe.”

One of the helpers was a 15-year-old boy who was at the farm with his mother until 2am, Ms Johnson said.

“It was unreal,” she added about the help she received.

“I just couldn’t believe it.”