Stranded

All train services serving the South West were cancelled, acres of countryside flooded and roads blocked by fallen trees.

In Wroughton, pensioners Bill and Ann Slater were left marooned in their house.

Flood water surrounded their home in Perrys Lane cutting them off from the rest of the village.

The couple were awoken at 3am by a neighbour who spotted the waters rising.

They have now called out the water board as they suspect a blockage in a nearby sewer is to blame.

Mr Slater said: "We are marooned and just waiting for it to go down so we can get out."

At Swindon station commuters were left stranded as Railtrack suspended all services due to the stormy weather.

Gales at speeds of up to 90mph brought trees down onto the line between Swindon and London Paddington and sections of the track were flooded, making it impossible for trains to run anywhere.

Fallen trees were this morning blocking two lanes of Queens Drive by Whitbourne Avenue, the road outside WH Smith in Greenbridge and the road between South Cerney village and the Spine Road.

The entrance to the County Ground was flooded and a section of the Arkell's Stand was blown off by the winds.

Groundsmen reported to work to find roofing lying on the ground.

Hundreds of acres of farmland around Cricklade on both sides of the main Swindon to Cirencester road were also deep in water, as was Swindon's Front Garden.

The water also stood several inches deep on the sports field used by the Cricklade rugby and cricket clubs.

Across the county roads were blocked by debris. Some trees were reported to have come down across the A419.

Drivers of high sided vehicles were warned to avoid the M4 at junction 14 and 15, because of high cross winds.

At the Wiltshire Constabulary weather room spokesman PC Dick Stewart said about 100 roads throughout the county were blocked.

They included the roads between Foxhill and Wanborough, other roads around Wanbor-ough, and routes out of Malmesbury, Melksham and Trowbridge.

Flooding was also reported at Broad Hinton filling station on the A361 road.

Swindon police urged drivers to cut their speeds in the poor conditions and said some four-wheel-drive vehicles had caused waves swamping smaller vehicles.