MP Evan Harris came to the rescue of a flood-hit cabbie - and went to collect the driver's stranded passengers.

Dr Harris, MP for the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency, stepped in at 2am yesterday (SUNDAY NOV 1) when a cabbie's car got stuck in flood water near his North Hinksey home.

The MP then jumped in his own car and picked up the taxi driver's passengers.

A man and two women were waiting to be collected at Oxford Rugby Club in nearby North Hinksey Lane and the MP found it no trouble to drop them at their homes half a mile away in Botley Road.

Dr Harris said: "I got back to North Hinksey from London in the early hours and realised this taxi driver had got stuck in some flood water.

"He told me he still had a fare to pick up and I was happy to help. I didn't like to think of these people left waiting there.

"When I turned up, I told the people waiting to get in and I don't think they realised who I was, they just thought I was their taxi driver.

"When they asked how much the fare was, I jokingly told them it would be three votes at the next election."

Dr Harris added that North Hinksey frequently suffered flooding and he was planning to speak to councillors to try to tackle the problem. "I didn't mind being a taxi driver for a night," said the MP, who is a qualified medic. "I was planning to stay up anyway to watch the Grand Prix."

Oxford city centre drivers had to take care when the stretch of Botley Road under the railway bridge became flooded with two feet of water.

Flood warning signs were put up and fire crews attended to pumped the water away, but it later returned.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency issued a red alert warning to residents in Thame when the River Thame threatened to burst its banks.

Craig Woodhouse, of the Environment Agency, said yesterday (SUN): "We are expecting the flood-wave to move downstream towards Thame over the next six hours or so, so we would ask people to be on their guard."

The agency issued the warning as torrential rain caused water to cascade into the river from nearby fields and hills. One house in Haddenham, near Thame, was flooded out and emergency staff offered homeowners sandbags.

Residents in Long Marston, Shabbington, Aston Clinton, Dorchester, Cuxham, and Chislehampton were also at risk.

Environment Agency spokesman Esther Dowling said that the River Cherwell was on a yellow alert warning, which means nearby roads and low-lying land could be affected by wind-blown spray.

The River Ock between Longcot and Abingdon has also been placed on yellow alert. 0

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