UK floods damage: Gas main explodes, pubs disintegrate and sinkhole appears in motorway

There has been a range of damage around the North of England as Storm Eva continues to wreak havoc. So far, two public house buildings have been almost totally destroyed, a fire has broken out due to a gas main rupture, and a large sinkhole has appeared in a major road. Meanwhile heavy rainfall is continuing, prompting fears of further disasters.

One of the public house buildings was in the village of Summerseat near Bury in Lancashire. The premises, which were formerly the Waterside pub, has been almost totally destroyed as the River Irwell burst its banks. The building is more than 200 years old with a large part projecting out over the river. It is believed that swollen waters under the building caused its collapse.

Local emergency services are trying to salvage what they can from the wreckage. There are unconfirmed reports that the bridge itself is at risk from the flood waters. Resident Andrew Watson told ITV News: "The 200-year-old former mill and ex-pub the Waterside has collapsed into the River Irwell at Summerseat near Bury, the road is now blocked and some of the building is blocking the River Irwell."

Meanwhile, a large section of the former Royal Oak pub in Mill Hey near Haworth, West Yorkshire suffered severe damage from the flood waters and is largely destroyed. The premises were due to reopen next spring, rechristened as the Mill Hey Brew House. The road the pub stands on was blocked by flood waters and there were earlier reports that people were trapped inside a car there.

Back in Lancashire, a fire has broken out on the banks of the River Irwell in the village of Radcliffe, near Bury. The swollen river waters dislodged a gas pipe and caused an explosion, as a nearby bridge was swept away.

A seven-metre deep sinkhole has opened up on westbound carriageway of the M62 near Rochdale in Greater Manchester. The Highways Agency has closed the motorway between junctions 20 and 19, causing major traffic disruption.