Shoppers flee as heavy rain brings floods

HUNDREDS of people were evacuated from shops, restaurants and a cinema after a river burst its banks and flooded a retail park yesterday.

Heavy rain swelled the River Irvine and water poured into the estate on Queens Drive in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.

Shoppers had to be evacuated from Asda, Homebase and three car showrooms, while diners had to flee KFC, Burger King and a pub.

Around 100 children were evacuated from the Odeon cinema, and staff had to leave a Post Office sorting centre.

Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway were worst hit as heavy rain deluged parts of Scotland. Roads were closed and properties flooded in both areas.

Fire crews had to pump water out of houses in Twynholm, Dumfries and Galloway, after heavy rain poured off the hillside into the town. Gelston Primary School near Castle Douglas was closed because of flooding.