A Suffolk farm engineer has described the dramatic moment he helped a stranded driver out through his window as his car was submerged during last week's flood.

Will Lawrence was one of four tractor drivers from Tuckwell Farms who volunteered to help out as people across the county found themselves in difficulty during Storm Babet on Friday (October 20).

He, along with Kai Burch, Mick Copping and Mark Farrington, headed out from the farm, at Kettleburgh Lodge, Framlingham, to help ferry pupils trapped in their schools and drivers stuck in floods. 

Their efforts were co-ordinated by farm manager Kris Grzelak who was on a day off but returned to work as the drama unfolded to see how he could help. Some of the team didn't finish until about midnight.

Their efforts were replicated across the county - as scores of Suffolk farmers spontaneously chose to support rescue efforts.

As well as helping  schoolchildren at schools including Easton and Brandeston, the Tuckwells team also helped drivers.

"It was one of my busiest days off," said Kris. "It was just non-stop helping people. Framlingham and Debenham were hit pretty bad so we split the tractor teams.

"We are close to the Deben where we are and Cretingham there was quite a bad flood through there. There were some vehicles trapped in the flood stopping people getting through."

The tractors were pulling the vehicles out to let others through, he explained.

"I didn't realise the extent of the issues until I got a text message from someone at Easton to say the children were stranded there," he said. "It's just a case of helping the community out. It's part and parcel of being farmers."

Will, of Wickham Market, works as an agricultural mechanic at Tuckwells farm machinery dealership, but volunteered to join the tractor drivers at the farm.

He and another tractor driver set about emptying out Easton primary then headed to Brandeston to help there.

"We were getting people out of Cretingham and Framlingham and Earl Soham," he said.

That evening, as darkness fell, a driver at Cretingham had to climb out of his window into his tractor to reach safety, he said. "He had got stuck in his car," he said. "It (the floodwater) was just below his window." 

He was "very grateful", he added. "It was fairly stressful trying to make sure I didn't get stuck and could help people. It was fairly close at some points there were a few roads we couldn't get down. They were coming up to the bonnet (of the tractor) in places."

Will - who finally got home at just before midnight after helping rescue people for about 12 hours - said he has never seen flooding this bad. "I spoke to my grandad who lived in Wickham Market his whole life and he's in his 80s and he's never seen anything like it."

But he was glad to have been of help, he said. "I would rather get everyone home safe. If I can help out, I will."

He estimated that between them the team rescued about 50 stranded people in the course of the day.

People in Suffolk who suffered damage in Storm Babet are asked to report it at www.suffolk.gov.uk/ReportFlood