Window cleaners braved “knee-deep” flooding to clear blocked drains in an effort to stop a busy Southend road closing following heavy rain.

Staff from family-run business Windy Washers, based in Southend and works across Essex, were on their way to a job on Tuesday afternoon when heavy rain forced them to cancel.

As they approached Bournes Green roundabout in Thorpe Bay, they spotted traffic stopping and flood water across the road - a busy junction linking Southend, North Shoebury and Thorpe Bay.

Springing into action, they worked to clear the blocked drains and prevent the road from closing.

“We try to do the best we can with the British weather, but sometimes the rain takes over,” owner Chris Brooks, 31, told the Echo.

“We had around 18 window cleaning jobs that day, so we got as much as we could done before the heavens opened.”

Chris described seeing “massive puddles” at the roundabout while heading home.

“There were cars slowing down, swerving around the puddles, or just going straight through them,” he recalled.

He suggested the cause may have been as simple as a clogged drain, so he and colleague Jack got to work in knee-deep flood water to do their best to help out “All of a sudden, the roundabout started to clear and it was back to normal,” Chris said.

Chris is sure the flooding could have caused further issues or even a crash if he and his colleagues had not taken action.

While most drivers were grateful, praising the team for their work and slowing down as they passed, not everyone was quite so considerate.

He said: “One van drove straight through the puddle and splashed us. We all have those thoughts so I don’t blame them, but it was all in good spirits.”

Since footage of their heroic efforts garnered more than 25,000 views and nearly 1,000 likes on Facebook, the public has showered the team with praise.

While Chris’ colleagues chose to help, they were paid for their time.

“At the end of the day, they helped the community and got soaking wet, so it was only fair to pay them,” Chris said.

“The company may have lost money that day, but it’s worth every penny.”