A houseboat moored on the River Ant broke free of its moorings and floated away during the strong winds of Storm Dudley.

But luckily the holiday home - which was unoccupied - was stopped when it was unable to go underneath Wayford Bridge.

Mary Cook, from Wayford Park River Holidays, which has several houseboats normally moored just west of the bridge, said the wind had been blowing in the opposite direction to normal, and they were unable to move the houseboat back.

She said: "Fortunately they can't go under the bridge.

"The houseboat has broken its moorings. We can't move it back at the moment.

"At the moment we can't put in anyone in danger to move it, so we will deal with it when the wind drops."

She said they were unable to tie the houseboats too tightly to the bank because of the tidal nature of the waterway.

Further disruption is expected overnight tonight [Thursday] and on Friday when Storm Eunice hits the country.

People have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel and make sure outdoor objects such as bins are secured.