AN insurance inspector has been praised for helping victims of the Ottery St Mary flooding get back on their feet.

Cornish Mutual insurance inspector Gary Burgess, from Talaton, in East Devon, was on the scene within hours helping people affected by the severe weather and organising a team of flood damage restoration specialists and loss adjusters to visit policyholders.

Mr Burgess said: "Most of our members were right in the thick of it when we arrived and just needed help, advice and assistance as well as reassurance that we were onto it."

Managing Director of Cornish Mutual, Alan Goddard said: "Gary and the team did some tremendous work to help those affected by the flash flooding."

Alan Maynard suffered significant damage to his house and also saw his car washed away into the river.

He said: "It just lifted off the ground and floated like a boat.

"We were lifting furniture up, trying to save what we could but it was too late for the car."

After the storm, Alan's furniture, carpets, fridges and washing machines were all ruined.

He added: "We only live about five metres from the river but we've never seen anything like it — within an hour there was 4ft of water at the door, which was buckling, coming in through the cracks."

Alan, whose farm was badly affected, has been dealing with Gary for 21 years.

"Gary was great, we called him in the morning and he was here by lunchtime.

"He's been out two or three times since, whenever we've had a problem."