Torrential rain overnight has caused flooding across the South West.

Homes and roads in Devon and Cornwall have been affected.

West Cornwall has been worst hit with parts of Helston and Crowlas, near Penzance, underwater.

Three retained fire crews fought an uphill battle to retain the flood water in Helston.

"Couldn't cope"

They were forced to abandon their pumping operation in the early hours when the river burst its banks upstream.

"There was more coming in than we were pumping out, we had three pumps pumping put but the river got higher than the actual road and we couldn't cope with it," said Bruce Bennetts of Cornwall Fire Brigade.

The worst flooding in Devon has been in Paignton town centre and Upton in Torquay.

In Harbertonford, where work on a new flood defence scheme was completed just four weeks ago, there was some flooding but most homes escaped.

Move livestock

Firefighters were also called to pump out homes in Totnes and Clyst St George.

The Environment Agency has a number of flood warnings in force for rivers across both counties.

And there are also more than 20 of the Environment Agency's lesser warning - floodwatches - in force.

The agency is advising people to check water levels and use sandbags or flood boards to block doors.

And farmers are being advised to move livestock to higher ground.