The deluge of rain falling on already saturated ground is causing concern for Bradford on Avon businesses still suffering from the Christmas Eve floods.

The basement of The Swan Hotel has been battered by flood waters for the past two weeks, delaying the clean-up process.

Owner James Sullivan-Tailyour said: “We cleaned the whole cellar, then it flooded 48 hours later.

“The partners, cleaning companies and building companies, don’t want to start doing anything major until the waters are low enough so it doesn’t happen again.

“It will take months and months. I have lost my coach house, cellar bar, outside toilets and back office storage area. The water has washed all the mortar from the stone wall at the bottom of Market Street.”

The hotel is still open for business and Mr Sullivan-Tailyour encouraged people to support his business and the town.

Funeral directors CS Bowyer in The Bull Pit has closed for refurbishment due to the flood damage but are still operating from Trow-bridge and Westbury.

Funeral director Neil Crooks said: “We hope to get up and running in the next couple of weeks if it doesn’t flood again.

“We have a flood line that rings us when the water reaches a certain level.

“If there are families that want to see us they can come to Trowbridge or Westbury or we can go out to them.”

The Bridge Tea Rooms in Bridge Street reopened last Monday, but owner Roy Hayward said: “It doesn’t look like it is going to end soon. I won’t be putting carpets back down anytime soon.”

The Three Gables in St Margaret’s Street reopened on New Year’s Eve to serve a five- course gourmet meal to 60 people, but was closed again until this week.

On Wednesday the Environ-ment Agency downgraded the town from a flood alert to a flood warning.