Derbyshire Dam At ‘Critical Level’

The residents

Around 1,000 people were evacuated from the town but most found their own accommodation with family and friends, according to Derbyshire County Council.

Due to concerns raised by residents over pets being left behind, Mehmet said officers had made the “difficult” decision to allow people to return to their homes temporarily.

“We will be putting plans in place for residents to return to their home to pick up very vital things they need along with their animal welfare,” he told reporters.

“This is very controlled, I must stress that, because this is still life at risk.”

Numbers returning will be restricted to one person per household, he said, and it was “difficult” to say when people would be allowed to return permanently.

Animal Search UK will be on site on Saturday and said “around a hundred” people had been in touch with concerns over missing pets but could not provide an accurate figure for how many were left in Whaley Bridge.

Anyone concerned about a pet left behind can contact them on 01244 355247.