Monsoon-like downpours on Saturday and last Tuesday saw almost three inches fall – the equivalent to a typical month's worth of rain.

Whalley resident and Ribble Valley Borough Councillor Terry Hill said he had been astounded by the volume of rain that fell and the fact it fell exclusively over Whalley.

He recalled that during Tuesday evening's torrential downpour a manhole cover in King Street, Whalley, was "blown" out of the road leaving a gaping hole.

"That was the same day Clitheroe Castle was being officially reopened and there was no evidence of the downpour in Clitheroe," Coun. Hill explained. "It was a downpour of biblical proportion, which, quite simply, the drains just could not take."

Whalley resident Vincent Verrill recorded 34.1mm of rain fell in just 90 minutes that day.

On Saturday, a similar flash flood saw 37.3mm of rain fall during the storm, causing flood water to seep into garages at Woodlands Drive, Whalley, and into The Dog Inn, King Street, Whalley.

Coun Hill said: "These downpours have shown that Woodlands Drive is vulnerable and I'm compiling a report for both Ribble Valley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council examining what help, in the form of flood barriers, can be provided to residents."

He added: "We were extremely lucky that there wasn't more damage to any other properties."

Work is currently being carried out by United Utilities to repair the damaged manhole in King Street.