A drought may have been declared in the parched south east of the country but Cumbria has been flooded after days of constant rain.

Some water levels in the south are lower than they were during the drought of 1976 and people are being urged to take four-minute showers.

Yet in the north west vehicles have been struggling to plough through water logged roads as the region is drenched with rain.

Craig Marsh, manager of the George Hotel in Keswick, Cumbria, said: "If they want some of our rain down south they are welcome to it.

"Over the last couple of weeks the weather has been pretty sporadic up here, and there has been quite a lot of rainfall.

"But to be honest we are prepared for it, especially at this time of year. We don't let it phase us."

Many roads have been left impassable, as almost a month's worth of rainfall has descended upon parts of Cumbria.