Ten people were taken to safety on inflatable rafts by firefighters after flooding near their homes in St Helens. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service was called to Blackbrook Road, St Helens, at 4.23pm yesterday after water flowed over a nearby brook's banks following heavy rain. Around 1ft (30.5cm) of water had risen near houses in the road. Fire crews used an inflatable boat to take residents, along with a cat and a dog, to safety. The flooding affected the junction of Blackbrook Road and Westend Road, not far from the Ship Inn. Station manager Steve Pratt said: "There were people who needed our help after floodwater entered the ground floor of a number of properties in Blackbrook Road. Our firefighters and the Search and Rescue Team train to deal with this type of situation and put safe systems in place to ensure people were brought to safety. There were no reports of any injuries. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service also said that more than 20 homes were evacuated in Fouracres, Maghull, last night. Some residents left their homes to stay with friends and family, while many people just moved upstairs, the fire service said. There are currently 17 flood warnings and 37 flood alerts in place across the North West, the Environment Agency said. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had been "busy" attending flooding incidents across the region throughout the night but the situation has now subsided. The incidents attended mainly involved surface water and overflowing drains, with some water entering homes, but with no homes or buildings seriously affected. Flintshire remains the most affected area, although incidents have also been reported in Wrexham, Conwy, Denbighshire and Anglesey. Since 4pm yesterday, 18 flooding-related calls were received by fire and rescue service control room operators and crews have attended 14 incidents. At 9.48pm yesterday, a 43-year-old man was rescued from his vehicle which was submerged in deep water in Chester Road, Sandycroft. He was taken to hospital by ambulance for a precautionary check- up. Earlier, at 7.28pm, crews were called to a caravan park in Llangollen where three caravans were affected by floodwater which was pumped away. In Anglesey, at around 1am this morning, a crew was called to Wellington Street in Llanerchymedd where a river had flooded and water had to be diverted. Paul Jenkinson, from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We advise the public to heed warnings in the media in relation to travelling advice from North Wales Police - when there is so much surface water is is best not to travel unless absolutely necessary. And if you are faced with floodwater, do not try to drive through it as it may be much deeper than it looks. One of the main roads into Newcastle has been shut so a wall can be taken down, police said. The A1058 Coast Road in Wallsend was closed to allow workmen to relieve water pressure by demolishing the wall. Police in Cumbria dealt with more than 30 separate incidents of highway flooding overnight, with many of the roads in the county affected by surface water. Lanes were closed on the M6 northbound just north of junction 41 due to standing water, a police spokesman said. One lane was open to allow traffic to pass with care. Train services in Lancashire were also affected by the rain. Northern Rail said the Wigan Wallgate to Southport and the Blackburn to Clitheroe lines were closed due to flooding and replacement buses were operating.