A Hinchley Wood store has sold 650 sandbags in a week as residents and councils fight flooding.

The river levels in the Thames have now risen to 5.42 metres up from 5.34 metres at 1pm today. 

The highest recorded level since measurement began in 1983 was 5.71m.

For more on the latest flood updates click here.

Dean Raynsford, senior sales at Jewsons in Hinchley Wood in Manor Road North, said: “They are going fast. We had the council buying all the sand from a couple of hundred of our bags.

“We also had 500 bags in on Monday. They went in two days pretty much. We had another 500 in yesterday.”

Every other customer was buying sandbags, he said.

“We had an old couple. I really felt bad for them. I helped her with pouring the sand [into the sandbags].

“They were flooded up to the sockets in their house. So many people have been flooded.”

Surrey Police has said that councils have free sandbags for vulnerable residents and advised to avoid buying from door-to-door salesman. Kingston Council said today residents should buy them if they needed them.