A SEVERE flood warning today was stepped bringing relief to Bolton residents and businesses who feared more disruption as the big storm clear-up continued.

The Environment Agency reduced its red alert plan as water levels started to drop, but will be keeping a close eye on all rivers and canals in the Greater Manchester area during the night.

There was a flood watch warning on all of Bolton's rivers earlier, with the River Irwell at Stubbins, near Ramsbottom, on a high state of alert.

Water running from blocked drains was a menaceearlier today for roads, homes and businesses as water flowed down from saturated hills above Bolton.

But weathermen say Bolton residents find tomorrow mostly clear.

Heartbroken antiques dealer George Bush is one of the many businessmen faced with a bill of thousands of pounds from flood damage.

Priceless antiques could be damaged forever at his shop, the Stag's Head Antiques in Chorley New Road, Horwich.

Mr Bush, who has run the business since 1983, will have to pay thousands of pounds to replace stock in the cellar which was submerged in at least five feet of water yesterday. The 63-year-old businessman has already found his cellar heavily flooded twice in four years and blames Bolton Council for having diverted nearby Pearl Brook culvert through a tunnel beneath the road.

Neighbouring businessman Graham Hope, who runs Lancashire Plaster Products, is considering giving up his company and just running it as a hobby after the latest floods caused more than £10,000 worth of damage.

Mr Hope, who lives above the premises with his family, woke yesterday morning to find his decorative plastering business submerged in water and his new Mercedes car also swimming in water in the garage.

The 43-year-old, who has run the business for 15 years, was due to carry out work yesterday at the home of Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce.

He said: "I do just feel like giving up now because this is the sixth time we've been flooded."

Concerned Horwich resident Steve Ashton, of Hilton Avenue, spent yesterday trying to persuade the council or police to block off Mason Street and Vale Avenue to traffic as the area was so badly flooded.

He said: "My daughter lives in Mason Street and each time a vehicle drove along that part of the road, the floodwater rose by a few inches."

Horwich Cllr Barbara Ronson said: "There is something seriously wrong with the infrastructure in Horwich when the only dry way out of the town is via Crown Lane. "I can understand why so many people are frustrated, but the soil here is peat-based which holds water like a sponge and the number of new houses which have been built does not help.

Bolton Council engineers investigated the Pearl Brook drainage system in Horwich earlier this year and concluded that they were only responsible for the part of the culvert which stretches beneath the road.

Other parts of the brook are disputed between North West Water, The Environment Agency and the council.

Nearby residents have been unable to discover which landowner is now responsible for the rest of the culvert since stores such as Aldi and Iceland were built along the original course of Pearl Brook.

North-west Environment Agency spokeswoman Anne Goodyear said: "Flooding is a possibility just about everywhere today as water levels are high around the region."

The Environment Agency's 24-hour flood warning number is 0845 988 1188.