A BRAINWAVE saved the village of Neasham from being engulfed when a JCB was used to plug its defences.

The flashpoint was at Kent Bridge where the water came over the parapet, taking everybody by surprise.

A 6am last Friday morning the flood embankment gave way, leaving a hole - and council engineers with the problem of stemming the water.

Mr John Buxton, Darlington council's director of development and environment, told the D&S Times: "In the June floods the water just reached the lip of the bridge and six houses were flooded.

"This time it was flowing over and the hole in the defences needed something substantial to dam it. We were trying to think how to use the JCB and I decided to stick it in the gap and surround it with sandbags."

The council also brought out a pump and its workmen were joined by the fire brigade in pumping water out of Kent Beck into the Tees.

Later in the day the Environment Agency brought along three large pumps, which kept the village comparatively dry.

That was no thanks to a couple who tried to steal sandbags from the defences on Saturday.

"Someone came into Neasham in a 4x4 and started loading it up with sandbags from the temporary protection works we had built on the enbankment.

"When tacked by an Environment Agency chap, he told him where he could go. Luckily there was a policeman around, who had a talk to him and he put the sandbags back.

"It was an absolutely ridiculous to take them away from the Kent Beck protection works. But apparently this has happened at other places in the borough.

"Neighbours have pinched sandbags to stockpile them. If there was the slightest risk of being flooded people have only to ask and we will issue them."

The Environment Agency said it was keeping a close watch on Kent Beck, which was still a danger to Neasham.

A spokesman said yesterday that the stream was 9ft above normal when it overflowed Kent Bridge.

With more rain forecast this weekend the village is being put on its guard yet again, as it prepares for Sunday's dedication of its millennium stones.

l Villagers at Gilling West saw their homes flooded for the third time in eight days. Rain on Monday caused the beck to overflow, and up to 2ft of water seeped into homes at the north end of the village. The same houses were flooded the previous Thursday and Monday.

The road through Gilling West was closed on Monday night and Tuesday, as was the route from Scotch Corner to Skeeby, sending travellers to Richmond down the A1 and through Brompton-on-Swale or Catterick Garrison