FORDINGBRIDGE Junior School is being closed until after half-term after severe flooding.

The school was initially closed on Monday because of flooding and having no electricity.

Children returned to the school yesterday, but after taking advice staff have closed it again until February 24.

Headteacher Kim Robertson sent out “a huge thank you” to the community for their “overwhelming response to the flooding”.

She said: "Within minutes of our call for help, parents, governors, staff and local residents were on site armed with sandbags and machinery.

"Local bakery Cottage Loaf kept everyone fed during the day while floods were held back from entering the buildings and parents stayed on site during Saturday night. This really was all hands to the pumps and I can't thank you enough."

Despite the best efforts of parents and teachers who battled for hours to stop the flood water bursting inside the site, the rising levels in the playground and surrounding areas made it impossible for the school to open on Monday.

Debbie Douglas, governor for building and grounds, said: “We had to close the school on Monday on health and safety grounds.

“If the school remains surrounded by water then arrangements will be made to see if we can go elsewhere.”

An army of teachers and parents responded to an appeal for help to stop the rising flood water getting inside the classrooms at the school and the neighbouring infant school over the weekend.

Over the weekend, Hampshire Fire and Rescue filled more than 1,000 sandbags in the effort to help flood-hit Hampshire communities.

A total of 70 firefighters worked with communities to reduce the impact of the flooding, and the service’s major incident room was in operation.

Around 80m of poly boom was deployed at Derritt Lane, Sopley, in the New Forest to divert water from running down the lane and affecting properties.

Meanwhile the water level of the River Avon at Ringwood reached 1.37m on Friday. The highest level previously recorded was 1.20m in 2007.

Residents at Roman Quay, Timbermill Court and Bowerwood in Fordingbridge were also subject to flood warnings.

Drivers have been facing delays with flooding on the A338.

And smaller lanes off Burgate and Breamore remain impassable, with many residents shoring up their homes with sandbags.