A KIND-HEARTED businessman bailed more than a dozen vehicles out of a flash flood last week...including a minibus, a police car, a learner driver and a breakdown truck!

Richard Bailey, aged 41, of Bold, helped tow 15 vehicles to dry land on Gorsey Lane on Friday after they were stranded in 2ft of rain water.

He said: “It was quite funny really. People were trying to go through the flood while we were pulling cars out in my Land Rover.

“Even when they closed the road, drivers were still trying to get through the water.

“So me and a few of the local kids waded in and helped the drivers to safety.

“By the way the cars were getting stuck, you would think they were driving through the middle of the Amazon!”

He added: “After a couple of people got caught we started charging each driver £20 to be rescued. We’re sending all the money we raised to Breast Cancer Research.”

Persistent torrential rain throughout Friday and Saturday caused flooding in other areas of St Helens leading to a number of road closures.

The Sankey Canal swelled up leading to flooding near bridges on Merton Bank Road, Islands Brow and College Street, St Helens.

The high volume of rain also caused the canal banks to burst in Islands Brow while Peasley Cross Road, an area notorious for flooding, was closed for much of Friday and Saturday.