CHURCHGOERS prayed for the rains to stop as families were evacuated from their homes in the Plank Lane area of Leigh.

Some residents from Johnson Close were evacuated as water seeped under the floorboards of their homes, cutting off electricity.

Leading Fireman Steve Wynn said: "Plank Lane is two feet under water at the worst point. People were given the opportunity to move out last night as water crept up under the floorboards of their homes and blew fuses and affected wiring.

"Inside Our Lady of the Rosary Church the cellars are full, water is up to a foot deep inside church and still rising."

Devastated parishioners could do little to stop the flow -- the second flood in a fortnight. Two weeks ago a flash flood resulted in the church cellars being swamped to a depth of eight feet as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Rev Peter Kelly, led a consecration service following an extensive revamp.

Surveying the damage, parish priest Father Peter Kelly today said: "We were about to replace the central heating system which was destroyed in the previous flood. Fortunately we had not done so."

"We have just spent £50,000 refurbishing the church. Parishioners are heartbroken -- so much effort went in to this.

"At the moment all we can do is stand by and watch. We can't even start a clean-up operation because there is so much floodwater all around.

"The original block floor was renovated as part of the recent work but that is now lifting.

"In the long term the Environment Agency and the Council must find a solution to why this part of Plank Lane keeps flooding."

Firemen have begun pumping the water through large diameter hoses several hundred yards from the flood area to Pennington Flash.

They say the floodwater is coming from the brook on the opposite side of Plank Lane which runs into a culvert under the road and then into the country park lake.