Clean-up after flood in city

Some roads in the city had to be closed

A mopping up operation has been taking place after a section of the Union Canal burst its banks and flooded part of central Edinburgh.

Part of the Fountainbridge area of the city was cordoned off when the millions of gallons of water poured into the streets.

Police from Lothian and Borders Marine Unit had to rescue three people from their flats in Dundee Street.

The alarm was raised just after 0430 BST on Sunday and at its height the flood water was 5ft deep.

Brenda Nelson's home was affected

Some householders in the area said they were woken by the sound of running water while others were alerted by neighhbours.

Resident Brenda Nelson, who lives in a ground floor flat which was flooded, said: "We were all sleeping, the lady from next door came knocking and as we opened the door all of this water came gushing in.

"At that point the levels just rose and it filled up the flat to about just above my knee.

"All of our furniture just rose and was floating around, it was just such a disaster.

"We were just sitting on the highest point waiting for somebody to come as we looked out my heart jumped."

'Immediate priority'

Householders in a tenement block sought refuge in flats upstairs and some roads were closed.

Staff at the Scottish Brewers plant also had to be evacuated as water poured into the complex.

British Waterways, which manages the canal, launched an operation to pump the water away and strengthen the canal banks and by late morning the water had subsided.

The mopping up operation has been continuing

It is not yet known what caused the canal's banks to give way.

A spokesman for British Waterways said: "We're currently working with the emergency services to ascertain the cause of the incident, but our immediate priority is to pump out the water from Fountainbridge Road and help support those residents and businesses affected by the flooding."

A spokesman for Edinburgh City Council said: "Our guys have been working tirelessly to block off the leakage.

"Five flats have been affected in total and our priority now is to give those people whatever assistance we can."