The fire service has defended its flood response during the recent Isle of Wight crisis, after attending only three 999 callouts.

During Wednesday, October 25 and Thursday, October 26, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) received 135 calls via 999 that were related to flooding on the Island.

These were all assessed based on 'risk-to-life', the fire service said, with three risk-to-life calls attended by crews.

The remaining callers were given advice and asked to call back should the situation change and there be a threat to life.

The fire service said that by taking this approach, it could ensure lifesaving resources remained available for 'threat-to-life incidents' related to flooding and other emergencies such as fires and road traffic collisions.

Stew Adamson, deputy chief fire officer for HIWFRS, said: “We recognise that seeing flood waters rise and enter your home or business is very distressing.

“In the event of major flooding, we work closely with other agencies to deliver a coordinated response.

“As a fire service, our operational priority is to protect life, and our resources will always be focused on making sure people are safe. Our response plans follow national guidance.”

The fire service said its 999 control team prioritise calls based on risk, with a duty officer sometimes attending or making contact to further assess the situation.

Where resources are not sent, control room operators will offer advice on dealing with flooding and provide contact details for where callers can get further help.

Jeff Walls, group manager on the Isle of Wight, added: “The safety of people on the Island is our priority.

“Flooding has a devastating impact on our communities, and while we would like to be able to help everyone to protect and limit the damage to their property, we need to ensure that we have crews available to be able to immediately respond to calls where there is a threat-to-life.”