TORRENTIAL rain lashed Swindon, causing widespread flooding around the town.

The downpour left some roads inches deep in water.

And many homeowners and businesses have reported flood damage.

Among them was 58-year-old Janet Delicata, of The Little Shop, Ermin Street, who said that debris and even a dead mouse had been washed into the road because of overloaded drains.

She said: "The problem is really bad and this is just the latest in a long history of drainage problems on the road which I have been complaining about since 1996.

"Every time it rains you get a lot of standing water on the road and when the traffic goes through it, the water gets washed into peoples gardens and homes."

Further along Ermin Street, staff at the All Day Store were struggling to clean up their floor after a drain running beneath the shop leaked.

Manager Chris Prout said: "It was pretty bad at one point. There was quite a bit of water over the floor, but thankfully we were able to move our stock out of the way so that it was not damaged."

Pensioners Bert and Nancy Page said that the heavy rainfall had caused sewage pipes to back up, sending raw sewage into the streets near their home at Heron's Croft, Covingham.

Mr Page, 75, said: "There are quite a number of other homes affected in the area. There is sewage everywhere and it stinks to high heaven."

Thames Water engineers were at the scene yesterday to determine the source of the problem, although a spokeswoman denied suggestions that the problem had been caused by a failure at the nearby sewage pumping station.

In the hamlet of Thornhill, driving instructor Susan Harris reported that stables in her back garden were under several inches of water.

She said: "The situation is horrendous, it started this morning when the rain began and very quickly we have been flooded out.

"Luckily my house is not affected because we are on a slight hill, but two of my neighbours have been flooded. The worst bit is that the drains have backed up and the water smells foul."

And in Clive Parade, Upper Stratton, rainwater was lapping over the kerbs.

The weather also affected sporting fixtures, including the cancellation of Swindon Town's pre-season friendly with Watford.

Sean Clarke of Bracknell Weather Centre, which monitors Swindon, said: "The heavy rain has been caused by a weather front which has been sitting over Ireland and Scotland moving in from the West.

"The inclement weather has been exacerbated by a low pressure area caused by recent high temperatures.

"It has been fairly bad, but it is not going to break any records."

He added that the nearest weather station to Swindon, RAF Lyneham, recorded 21mm of rainfall in six hours.

"The average monthly rainful for this time of year is 53mm, so this represents half a month's rainfall in half a day."

The rain is expected to move away in the next few days and be clear by the weekend.