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'It was like someone tipped the sea onto our farm'

Kelly Withers & Clara Bullock
BBC News, Somerset
World Horse Welfare The picture shows horses Socks, Teddy, Jerry and Max standing in a muddy field at Glenda Spooner Farm. World Horse Welfare
The horses at the Glenda Spooner Farm are said to be "doing well"

A horse charity has temporarily closed following the severe flooding in Somerset.

Floodwater damaged two bungalows and the main visitor centre at World Horse Welfare's Glenda Spooner Farm, near Somerton.

While the horses are "doing well", the charity said water continues to run through the fields where about 90 of its horses graze.

Centre manager Claire Dickie said: "It's absolutely heart-breaking to have to close our doors. We rely entirely on charitable donations and not being able to welcome those people through our door is pretty serious for us."

World Horse Welfare The picture shows the exterior of a one-storey building damaged by muddy floodwater.World Horse Welfare
The floodwater damaged two bungalows used as staff accommodation

Ms Dickie added that Sunday's weather was "like nothing we've ever seen before".

She said: "We're pretty used to wet weather - living in Somerset - but it was like someone had tipped the sea onto our farm.

"It was absolutely terrifying.

"We were lucky it happened in the middle of the day, not the middle of the night."

Ms Dickie said that the horses were fine and "going about their business as usual".

However, she added that the floodwater had wiped out the visitor centre and it was unclear how long the clean-up would take.

The damaged bungalows had also been used as accommodation for some staff members.

Claire Dickie is petting a horse's head, which is looking over a stable gate. Ms Dickie is wearing a blue jacket. The horse is dark brown with white markings.
Ms Dickie said it was "heartbreaking" that they had to close

All affected members of staff have been provided with temporary accommodation while the clean-up gets under way.

Ms Dickie said: "We have received so many messages of support and offers of help and I can't thank everyone enough.

"It has been such a morale boost to know so many people care about us and want to make sure we are all okay."

She added that they would reopen "soon", when the repairs were finished.

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