OTLEY is recovering from flooding caused by Storm Ciara.

The River Wharfe burst its banks on Sunday, Sunday, February 9 as the storm brought torrential rain and high winds.

That caused widespread disruption in the town and surrounding areas with several roads - including Billams Hill and Farnley Lane - and Otley Bridge becoming impassable.

The A660 between Otley and Burley-in-Wharfedale was also flooded as were large parts of Wharfemeadows Park.

Riverside residents in Otley, including those on Farnley Lane and Bridge Avenue, endured an anxious wait on Sunday night to see how high the river would rise.

Local councillors were among those out helping to direct traffic and overcome problems on Sunday afternoon.

Councillor Sandy Lay, posting on social media on Sunday evening, thanked everyone who had helped. He said: "I just wanted to thank all those involved in efforts today.

"A particular shout out to the Otley Flood Response team who are the best and the best of our community."

Things had improved somewhat by Monday morning with the bridge and roads reopened.

Flood warnings that had been in place for a number of points along the River Wharfe, including at Otley, Castley Lane and Harewood Bridge, were also all removed.

For each location the Government's flood warning information service posted this message on Monday: "This flood warning has been removed as river levels are falling and the risk is reduced."

Otley suffered a similar level of flooding in March, 2019.

A £3.3 million flood defence scheme for the town, which would see a tall bund and flood wall built between Otley Bridge and Newall Mount, is currently being pursued by Leeds City Council

The Government allocated £2 million towards flood alleviation works after the town flooded badly three times at the end of 2015.