Businesses across England are rallying in support residents hit by the recent spate of extreme storms and flooding in the south west of the country.

A chain of businesses is helping the relief effort with supplies including sandbags, waders, wheelbarrows and cleaning materials to help local volunteers.

Freight company TXX transported 1,000 sandbags from a warehouse owned by jute bag supplier Jutexpo in Ipswich, to builders’ merchant Buildbase in Yeovil, where they were filled with sand.

Other local companies helping include Brington Engineering, which kicked off the process, and work wear supplier Rodo, which donated high-viability jackets.

Buildbase branches in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Radstock, Yeovil and Malmesbury are all taking part in the initiative and locals will be able to collect sandbags and supplies from these locations while stocks last.

The government and Environment Agency has come under fire for their response to the flood crisis which many believe has been weak.

Kyle Chesterman, branch manager at Buildbase in Yeovil, said: “A number of villages in the area have been stranded, people need to get out and the area can only be accessed by foot.

“This is a massive undertaking and the whole community has come together to help each other out in what is an incredibly distressing situation.”