Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said 56 members of the public had so far been rescued by crews All railway lines between Derby and both Nottingham and East Midlands Parkway are closed, as well as lines between Peterborough and Leicester

Leicestershire and Lincolnshire have both declared major incidents following the extreme weather which has triggered dozens of flood warnings, including one ranked as a danger to life.

Widespread flooding has hit parts of the United Kingdom after days of snow, ice and rain across the country. At least 60 people have been rescued from homes and many have had their vehicles engulfed by flood water.