North Yorkshire Police announce they will meet the recovery costs of any vehicle abandoned in horror floods

In a statement released on social media today, the force said they took steps to recover vehicles blocking the roads to free up traffic.

The vehicles recovered are now ready to be collected and there will be no charge for the collection, the force confirmed.

Instead, the police said they will cover the cost of recovery.

The statement said: "The weather we’ve just experienced in North Yorkshire has been exceptional. Areas of our region were deluged by rain in a very short space of time, leading to flooded roads and road closures. Some vehicle owners had to abandon their vehicles due to the extreme weather conditions.

“As flood waters receded to a safer level, we took steps to recover the vehicles that were blocking the roads, so that traffic was able to pass freely and safely.

“Those vehicle owners are now in a position to collect their vehicle from the recovery company, and we want to make it clear that there will be absolutely no charge for this collection. The cost of recovery will be covered by North Yorkshire Police.

“Due to our heavy workload today, it took us a little while to put these arrangements in place with the recovery company, and there are one or two people who have already collected their vehicles and paid a fee. We’d like to give our sincere apologies to these people for the inconvenience, and reassure them that if they contact the recovery company they will receive a full immediate reimbursement of the fee.

“More rain is forecast over the next few days, so our officers will be out as usual, doing everything we can to keep people safe. We would urge people to keep a close eye on www.northyorks.gov.uk/roadworks-road-closures-and-diversions for news about flash flooding and road closures, and take extra care when travelling over the next few days.”

Many social media users reacted with gratitude at the heartwarming offer from the force.