The pumping operation at the water treatment facility in Kenley

Police in Croydon are working around the clock to assist Croydon Council and other emergency services tackling flooding in the Kenley and Purley areas. Officers have been posted to the Godstone Road area since Croydon Council declared a major incident on Thursday, 6 February, with collective efforts focused on preventing a local water treatment facility and local properties from flooding.

Local officers were joined by the Met's Marine Policing Unit in the early hours of Thursday, 13 February to assist with the evacuation of local residents from properties in Foxley Hill Road. Since then, local Croydon officers have assisted with the emergency evacuation of around 50 local residents in affected roads. The Met's Air Support Unit (helicopter) has also been providing aerial images of the affected areas to help those dealing with the flood waters to gain an overall picture and manage the situation.

Chief Inspector Malcolm Noone, who is leading the local police response in the area, said: "Our primary role here has been to support other agencies and emergency services in their work to prevent the floods from worsening. The response from the community has been fantastic and we'd like to thank local residents for their understanding during this extremely difficult time. "On the road blocks, officers have, on occasions, had to stop people from getting to their homes because there has been water pumping equipment exposed in the road, flooding or other issues preventing vehicle access.

We're trying to facilitate local resident access to the area as best we can, but we'd ask people to continue to be patient." Police are requesting any local residents living within the affected areas assist officers on cordons by carrying proof of address with them to help facilitate access in and out of flood-affected areas. As well as assisting with emergency evacuations of residents in Dale Road, Foxley Hill Road and Godstone Road, officers have also been patrolling the area to prevent any crime and disorder. Croydon Borough commander Chief Superintendent David Musker, said: "This has been an extremely challenging time for everyone in the Kenley and Purley areas and I can assure the public that we will continue to support efforts to prevent further flooding in the area.

"I'd like to reassure residents that we will maintain our patrols in the area to prevent any theft of property - particularly around areas where properties have been evacuated. We're also continuing to deliver our day-to-day policing for the rest of Croydon, so residents across the borough can expect a normal service from us. "It has been a truly remarkable effort by all involved, including our colleagues from Croydon Council and the London Fire Brigade who have been working flat-out to deal with the situation. We will continue to work closely with all partners involved until the risk of flooding has subsided."