Residents are losing the battle to keep flood water out of their homes as a deluge of heavy rain continues to hit the county.

Several schools and roads have been closed, while the West Coast Mainline between Lancaster and Preston has been shut due to flooding.

New Longton is the latest to be affected with water pouring into homes and gardens.

Jayne Lawler, 46, of Chapel Lane, New Longton said: "It is coming down Moss Lane through the back of the garden and across the road - I cannot see my garden. It is like a river and the garage is under water.

"Another couple of millimetres and it will be in our house. South Ribble Borough Council have been up with sand bags.

Dave Suffield, 41, said: "It is a real shock - water is going into the houses across the road. It appears to be coming in from Moss Lane.

"It is a really good community effort - they are all doing everything they can to help those worst affected."

The transport network has also been badly hit, with the West Coast Mainline between Lancaster and Preston closed due to flooding.

According to Network Rail the railway line has been flooded at Oubeck, Barton and Broughton.

Coaches are being organised to carry passengers between Preston and Lancaster.

>> Roads and schools across Lancashire have also been closed - see full list here

Sandbags were piled up in front of homes in Garstang Road, Broughton, to prevent the advancing flood waters from entering their homes.

Meanwhile, horrendous jams built on roads around the county, and buses and trains were delayed and cancelled.

Some motorists abandoned their vehicles on the side of the road and walked to work. Some country roads were closed due to flooding.

Huge swathes of Preston's Miller Park and Moor Park were underwater on Monday morning, while there was also severe flooding in roads across the county, including Deepdale Road, close to Preston's Sainsbury's store, Leyland Road in Lower Penwortham, Chorley Road, Walton-le-Dale, D'Urton Lane, Fulwood, Lytham Road in Preston, Garstang Road at Broughton and Station Road at Barton.

Lewis McDonald, owner of Londis and post office in Garstang Road, Broughton said: "I have been watching the water rise since 5.30am this morning.

>> Five-day weather forecast

"Another inch and it will be going into people's houses - my neighbours have been putting sandbags out.

"We are lucky the shop is slightly higher, so we should be okay, but the water is covering the street."

Playing fields at Walmer Bridge village hall were flooded after a burst culvert diverted the nearby brook across land.

Resident Andrew Sutton, who lives next door to the village hall on Gill Lane, said there was "a small river" flowing through his garden.

He said: "There must be a foot of water coming through here. We have been talking to the council about widening the culvert for a long time because we knew something like this would happen."

The rains caused chaos on motorways, with slow-moving rush hour traffic on the northbound M6 from junction 33 at Galgate to junction 27 at Standish, including flood water at the Stubbins Lane area.

>> Massive mudslide crushes luxury cars

There was also flooding around the entrance sliproad at junction 31A on the southbound carriageway, causing tailbacks.

The Met Office and police are urging motorists to take extra care on the roads. Police said several roads across Lancashire were affected after around an inch of rain fell by 8am.

Earlier on Monday there were flood warnings on low-lying land between Ormskirk and Southport.

And a similar amount was expected to fall over the following 24 hours, Met Office forecaster Andrew Sibley said.

Rainfall totals of 25-50 mm were expected on Monday, with a risk of up to 70mm in some places.

>> Advice for those at flood risk

>> Trains brought to a standstill

>> Town hall clock falls victim to rain

See Monday's Lancashire Evening Post Floods Special edition.

Have you been affected by the heavy rain? Please send us your flood stories and pictures.

To text a picture from your mobile phone, type in LEPDESK (space), any details required and attach a photograph via MMS to 07840 669770 (texts cost 25p plus your usual network fee).

To send us a comment on your mobile phone, text LEPSHOUT (space) then up to a maximum of 160 characters, and send to 84070.

You can also leave a comment below this article using our registration system or by email to lep.newsdesk@lep.co.uk and bad weather pictures to leppicturedesk@lep.co.uk

>> Vote in our latest web poll