GAZETTE & HERALD: POWERHOUSE, the electrical store in Hathaway Retail Park, Chippenham, was immersed in inches of water after a deluge on Monday afternoon.

Rainwater came through the roof and poured down the walls at the height of the downpour.

Manager Liz Shepherd said: "I've never seen anything like this before and I've been here nearly eight years.

"It was like a waterfall coming down the walls. Water came through the roof on to the false ceiling, which is tiles and lights, then it seeped through on to the walls.

"There were two inches of water over the floor."

Six members of staff worked under emergency lighting to save stock.

"There was so much panic," Ms Shepherd said. "We tried to mop up with buckets but it was useless. One member of staff who was trying to save stock got absolutely drenched.

"When the fire brigade arrived they advised us to evacuate the building because it was feared the ceiling could fall down."

A fire crew worked at the store until 6.30pm trying to dry the building out. Leading Firefighter Keith Shackleford from Corsham, said an extensive amount of water had built up inside.

"A fair amount of water entered through the apex roof," he said. "We isolated the electrics for safety reasons and sucked the water up, but the carpets will be wet for some time.

"Fortunately not too much of the stock was damaged because it is on plinths off the ground."

On Tuesday, contractors cracked a main sewerage drain at the new B&Q site resulting in a four-mile diversion for motorists. Wessex Water carried out emergency repairs to the drain. The diversions were removed by Wednesday morning.

Chippenham firefighters were also called to Malmesbury and Minety to deal with flash floods.