Relief for thousands on UK east coast as flooding threat wanes

Evacuated residents allowed to return home as seven people rescued from sinking cargo ship off Kent coast

Thousands of people evacuated from their homes along Britain's east coast have been told they can return to their properties after an anticipated storm surge failed to cause the disruption expected.

Some homes in Yorkshire were flooded, but conditions along much of the east coast did not reach the forecast level of danger, which had prompted the Environment Agency (EA) to issue 17 severe flood warnings and tell those in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex that they were most at risk.