Residents of Whaley Bridge have been told it is safe to return to their homes following successful efforts to prevent a damaged dam from collapsing.

More than 1,500 residents were evacuated from the Derbyshire town amid heavy rain last week, with fears that the dam holding back water in the nearby Toddbrook Reservoir was at risk of giving way.

Some people refused to vacate their properties even though part of the barrier did collapse, and many of those who did leave have since grown impatient with how long it has taken to check that it is safe to go back.

Police finally allowed around 50 households to return on Tuesday after the water level in the Horwich End area dropped by 9.5m (31ft), and officers have now said that the rest of the community can now go home.

Deputy chief constable Rachel Wann said officers needed to take time to make sure the reservoir would be able to cope with any more rain, with the Met Office having issued a yellow weather warning for the area.

“The hard work and dedication to achieve this has been quite simply incredible and means that I am now able to lift the evacuation order placed on Whaley Bridge and the surrounding area,” she said.

“At the forefront of our thoughts are the communities affected by this incident who have been steadfast in the face of the peril that lay behind that dam wall.

“The danger posed by the millions of tonnes of water, which would have destroyed homes and livelihoods, could not be underestimated.

“Over the coming days and weeks further work will be completed to ascertain the damage caused to the dam wall and what actions are required for the future. We must not forget that the dam is broken.

“The Environment Agency has confirmed that the measures remaining in place at the dam will be able to manage the levels of rain forecasted, modelling against a number of scenarios.

“With this, and confirmation of the effectiveness of the work to repair the damage done and reduce the water coming into the reservoir, I am able to confirm it is safe for people to go back to their homes.”

Residents have been advised by the Environment Agency that while the dam is in a good enough state for now, it will eventually need to be rebuilt.

It will be a “long-term construction project”, which a spokesman said could take up to three years.

Whaley Bridge has hosted dozens of emergency service personnel in recent days, including firefighters, as well as around 100 military personnel and an RAF Chinook helicopter.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have also visited, with Mr Johnson admitting that the conditions in the town were “pretty scary”.

It was a mammoth operation to reduce the water level and inspect the dam, with the former having seen teams spend days working to pump the excess out.

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