SPECIALIST restorers who are drying out flood-hit Kendal homes, Cumbrian businesses and Appleby's historic church have praised the "resilient British character" of people they are helping.

Around 80 technicians working for Richfords Fire and Flood were deployed to Cumbria by insurers after Storm Desmond wreaked havoc in December, because of the sheer volume of drying work needed.

The damage restoration company, based in Cornwall and on the M5, has been working on 50-or-so insurance claims, mainly at homes and businesses in Kendal, Keswick and Carlisle.

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At Appleby's Grade I-listed St Lawrence's Church, parishioners have kept expert technicians supplied with mince pies, cakes and hot tea as they carry out a carefully controlled drying programme. The Rev Sarah Lunn, team rector of the Heart of Eden Team Ministry, is full of praise for the company's professionalism.

"They've done a very good job and have been very attentive," Ms Lunn told the Gazette.

"One of the things for us is that the church is still extremely damp because it's sandstone, which is porous, and the water table is so high because it's just rained and rained and rained.

"They've done a lovely job cleaning up but we still have lots of dehumidifiers in. It will be a couple more months according to them and the insurance company [Ecclesiastical Insurance], so we are trying to be patient."

After pumping out floodwater and muddy silt, buildings are sanitised and then a tailor-made drying programme is devised to ensure that, for example, ornate wooden pews are not damaged by over-quick drying.

Items such as wooden furniture and fine arts are sometimes taken away for delicate conservation, which may take days, weeks or months.

Mike Cooper, Richfords' business development director, told the Gazette: "Time and time again we've met with people who put a huge amount of personal effort into helping neighbours move their property upstairs, even though their own property was going to be affected; neighbours going to help elderly neighbours. It's very much that resilient British character."

Appleby's church dates back to the 12th century and houses the underground crypt and monuments of Lady Anne Clifford and her mother, Margaret, Countess of Cumberland.

On December 5, when the River Eden overwhelmed the town's flood defences, 26-and-a-half inches of water surged into the church, flooding its 80 pews, said Rev Lunn.

The congregation are bringing their own cushions to prayers and communion, and a project inviting school children and townsfolk to design the pew runners is also being planned.

"It's rough and ready, as in people have got to sit on bare benches and there are no kneelers and the sound system doesn't work. But we are managing because we have to," said Rev Lunn.

"A lot of folk in Appleby have been flooded out of their homes and we are trying to keep the community spirit together because it's quite a soul-destroying thing, and a lot of businesses are shut.

"We've still got sandbags everywhere and people are still in a state of semi-readiness.

"It's hard work but people are resilient and people are very caring of and to each other, so it's building on that and being patient."