CUMBRIA County Council has promised to find a solution to the flooding which blocked the main route north into South Lakeland after a week's worth of rain fell in just 24 hours last weekend.

The downpour, on Sunday night, left motorists struggling to reach Kendal on Monday when floodwater closed the A591 northbound between Prizet and Shenstone, sending a stream of diverted traffic down the narrow lanes to Natland and Brigsteer.

The county council, which is responsible for the road, said the problem had been caused by a culvert, which had become blocked by plastic and other debris washed into the drain by the violent rain.

The same problem caused the road to flood in 1997 and again in 1999 and council public relations manager Brian Hough told the Gazette that highways engineers were now planning to change the type of culvert grill.

"Hopefully a new grill will solve the problem in the long term," he said.

On Sunday night, the River Kent at Victoria Bridge, in Kendal, rose to almost twice its usual level and the county's rain-swollen rivers prompted the Environment Agency to issue Flood Watch alerts for the whole of South Lakeland, Furness, Eden and the Lune Valley.

Meanwhile, thousands of pounds of damage was caused at the Old Mill, in Bardsea, when a pond behind the restaurant overflowed.

Ulverston fire brigade spent two hours pumping out rooms which were left under several inches of water.

After a two-day mopping up operation, it was business as usual at the restaurant on Wednesday.

l Yesterday (Thursday) the Meteorological Office was forecasting some rainfall and some heavy showers on Friday, but said the area would see a general improvement over the weekend with little chance of heavy rain.