Flood traps children on bench

Two terrified children and their au pair were trapped on the park bench they had been sitting on by a powerful surge of water as the Thames burst its banks.

The au pair had to snatch the 15-month-old baby girl as her push chair was submerged when a huge spring tide flooded Marble Hill Park in Twickenham.

The baby's three-year-old brother scrambled up on the bench for safety as both children screamed in terror.

The au pair, who has not been named, had to hold the baby above the freezing water as the river swirled around her legs. The depth of the water reached upto three feet in seconds.

She then used her mobile phone to dial 999 and the RNLI immediately launched two lifeboats.

The Teddington rescue vessel, which is capable of sailing safely in shallow water, reached them first and lifted the shocked children and their au pair to safety.

After the incident yesterday afternoon, all three were treated for shock and exposure.

Malcolm Miatt, honorary secretary of Teddington Lifeboat, said: "She was holding the baby and the three-year-old was on the bench. The buggy was swamped. They were all cold and the children were very distressed." The sudden flood also caught out two women who were trapped by the same floods. They were rescued by the lifeboat crews near Glover's Island in Twickenham. The women were standing in several feet of water when they were picked up.

The two women, the au pair and the children were transfered to a Port of London launch. There they were warmed up with blankets and hot drinks in a heated cabin. They did not need hospital treatment.

At least ten cars parked along the river embankment at Richmond and Twickenham were swamped by flood water. Mr Miatt warned people to be aware of the risks of getting cut off by the high spring tide. "People sit looking at the river and don't realise the tide is coming in around them," he said. "Before you know it the tide has crept in behind you."

The Thames barrier will today be lowered at Charlton to prevent high tide water reaching London. The first of seven RNLI high-speed jet-boats began service on the Thames in January.