A police cordon remains in place this morning around a devastated North Cornwall holiday village after devastating flash floods hit the area yesterday afternoon.

The once picturesque holiday village of Boscastle now looks like a river of mud and is being cleaned up after six buildings were destroyed and dozens of cars, mostly belonging to holidaymakers, were carried away by a three metre high wall of water that swept down the valley to the sea.

The higgledy-piggledy cottages of Boscastle, its tea rooms and pubs clinging to the side of the beautiful Valency valley in North Cornwall make the village a favourite holiday destination, particularly for day-trippers. The fact made it difficult for the emergency services to be sure everybody has been accounted for, although reports this morning say nobody is believed missing.

Many people were airlifted to safety as a rescue operation involving the RAF and emergency services continued through the night and the search operation continues this morning with police making sure nobody has been trapped in the rubble or in any of the cars, many of which were washed into the harbour.

Seven aircraft including a Coastguard helicopter; 3 Royal Navy helicopters and two RAF helicopters have now been used to pick people from the rising water and they have all been deposited at the Boscastle football pitch or the village hall which remain above the water. All power was switched off into the village earlier during the incident to prevent further accidents.

Three rivers, the Valency, the Jordan and the Paradise, meet in the steep sided historic harbour village and this enabled the floodwaters to rise so rapidly. The weather in the morning had been good on the North Cornwall coast, bringing out the tourists in droves. The police have asked for sightseers to stay away today as the clean up operation continues.

Devon and Cornwall police have set up an emergency phoneline for anyone concerned about friends or relatives - 01392 451130.