EMERGENCY services were stretched to the limit across south Devon and the rest of the region after heavy overnight rain caused major flooding problems early on Wednesday.

Police and fire units answered dozens of 999 shouts as commuters faced long delays trying to get to work through gridlocked roads, some of them under water.

Nearly two inches of rainfall drenched the already saturated area.

Firefighters answered a rush of calls with the stampede starting just after 2am.