Heroes and heroines when the going got tough in the downpour

John Livingstone, age 12, of 81 Rocket Way, Forest Hall, saved his neighbours’ homes by putting doors against them to stop flood water, said neighbour Neil Corkin.

Teachers at Roman Road Primary School in Leam Lane Estate, Gateshead, worked until 11pm in the evening to save pupils’ work after the hall flooded.

MetroCentre bosses came to the rescue when they arranged for two shoppers, who couldn’t get home to South Shields, to stay overnight in the management suite, providing bedding from House of Fraser, and everything else necessary for a comfortable night.

Doreen Lawrence, of Stanley, County Durham, wanted to thank to staff at Tesco at Kingston Park. Doreen and her daughter Kirsty were aiming for Newcastle Airport when they got stuck on the A1 at around 5pm and missed Kirsty’s check-in by five minutes.

The pair rearranged the flight for 7am yesterday but as they attempted to go back home again got stuck in traffic.

Staff at the Tesco allowed Kirsty and Doreen to stay in the car park and took out blankets and warm drinks. Doreen said:

“They all showed such kindness and compassion for two complete strangers that I would like to thank them with all my heart for being such wonderful caring people, Tesco are very lucky to have such staff, that went out of their way to help asking for nothing in return. My daughter finally got her flight at 7am and I arrived home at 6.45am in Stanley today, exhausted, numb, stressed but happy I had been lucky to get home in one piece and meeting lovely people.”

A mother and her two children, including a five-month-old baby, had to be rescued by an inflatable dinghy. Nurse Yolanda Ekong, 36, raced to the second floor of her four-bedroom house in St Mary’s Terrace, in Heworth, when water filled up past her downstairs windows, before hiding in the loft.

She said: “My little boy was shouting at the window for the police to come and help us.”