THE military joined forces with fire crews in the battle against flood water.

Navy personnel and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night building a sandbag wall to protect already-flooded properties.

From 8pm until 1am 100 people from the Royal Navy and 12 fire crews from Eastleigh and Winchester fire stations laid 800 sandbags to create a second line of defence against the flood water in Winchester’s Water Lane.

This morning, there are 100 Navy personnel on the ground in Winchester, from HMS Sultan and HMS Collingwood.

The action was taken as the city prepares for another deluge of rain and hail stones today as one of the wettest winters on record continues.

Winchester fire crews were also in Littleton last night offering advice on placing sandbags to people’s whose homes are already under water in and around Main Road.

Some of the 35,000 sandbags currently deployed in Hampshire have been put around the river’s edge in a desperate attempt to slow the water flowing further into the road.

It follows severe flooding problems in the city, including at St Bede Primary School which has been closed for the past two days.

The school was closed for 18 months in 2000 following severe flooding and will remain partially shut all this week due to flooding in the playground and problems with the toilets draining.

Year 6 pupils will return to class on Wednesday.

Meanwhile the city council has confirmed River Park Leisure Centre will be closed until further notice due to floods.

The military presence follows calls across the country for intervention due to the widespread flooding the severe weather has caused.

The effects of the weather have left people trapped in their homes and vehicles and caused transport chaos across the region, with trains cancelled and roads closed.

Fire crews will be back on the streets of Winchester today as they continue to lay sandbags and help those affected by the flooding.