Residents of flood-hit Tewkesbury were amazed when their copy of the Gloucestershire Echo arrived – by kayak!

Distribution manager Mike Saxton, a keen kayaker from the age of 12, paddled past the marina to reach High Street with several hundred copies of the Echo sealed in the boat's watertight compartments.

"The first thing that struck me was the silence" he said.

"High Street is normally a busy route through the town and walking undisturbed straight down its middle is really quite eerie."

At Tesco Metro a number of customers commented upon his unexpected arrival before eagerly picking up the latest edition of the paper - and Mike added that he was touched by the reader comments.

"The Echo will continue to serve and support all communities in its circulation area, during the current crisis and into the future," he added.