Prime Minister David Cameron made an unannounced visit to Buckfastleigh on Tuesday to see the effects of the weekend's flooding.

He talked with Station Road resident Andrew Rice, whose cottage is next to the spot where the River Mardle and Dean Burn converge and the waters rose by 10ft.

'Mr Cameron just wanted to come in and see what damage there had been and where the water level was,' said the 32-year-old, who manages the town's chippy.

'He talked about working with the local authorities to see what the cause was as this hasn't happened since 1979 and to make sure the council was doing what it could to help us clear up.