GERMAN and Austrian retailers have turned to a British manufacturer of dehumidifiers for help after recent storms.

Ebac, in Bishop Auckland, has received orders for more than 10,000 units, including one order of 5,000 for retail chain Carrier, following the floods that struck Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Cities such as Dresden and Prague were the worst affected, with the clean-up costs estimated at nearly £10bn in Germany alone.

Ebac's staff worked round the clock to complete the orders on time, after the company was swamped with calls. John Elliott, managing director of Ebac, which employs 350 staff, said: "It has been a hectic time for us, but it is a real feather in our cap that our expertise has been recognised in this way by countries that have such a tradition of engineering excellence themselves."

He added: "It is impossible to refurbish buildings until all the damp is removed, or the residual damp will continue to cause problems, so our dehumidifiers will be in use for many months before flood damaged households will be in a position to recover completely."