Ryedale flood victims have started the heart-breaking task of cleaning up their homes after the floodwaters finally receded.

Many residents in Norton, forced to flee when water started gushing into their homes two weeks ago, returned yesterday to survey the damage.

For many, it was the first time water levels had been low enough for them to return home.

And they were greeted by an unbearable stench in many houses, caused by a mix of oil and raw sewage.

Workers from the sewage companies, Ryedale District Council, and the Fire Brigade, are currently on hand offering advice and practical help, but for many the clean-up is a lonely experience, which requires plenty of elbow grease.

Kath Youngson, a resident of Welham Road, said she was "gutted" when she returned home on Monday afternoon.

"We suffered the same during the floods last year, but it has been much worse this year," she said.

"I got all my crying out of the way when I had to abandon the house two weeks ago.

"I'm still very upset though."

She added: "We had only just got everything back to normal after last year's floods and it has happened again - I'm resigned to the fact that I've just got to get on and clean it all up.

"I know one thing though, there is no way I am going to let the floods beat me. I am not going to sell up. We're staying put."

Ryan Weir, from the Fire Service in York, said the water levels were still very high in Norton.

"The floods may have gone down a bit, but the water table is still very high," he said.

"We're here just helping residents clean up and to help pump water, which is still underneath the floorboards in many houses."

Di and Howard Keal returned to their home in St Nicholas Street, Norton, yesterday to find most of their possessions had been ruined.

"The first thing I noticed was how cold it had become," said Howard.

"The water has seeped into the walls and it has become freezing in every room.

"The shock of it and the cold sent a shiver down my back when I first walked back into the house."

Di said: "It will take months to clean up, because it has left behind raw sewage and is extremely unhygienic.

"It is heart-breaking, but you have just got to get on with it and clean it up."