A PREGNANT woman and her one-year-old child had to be rescued by firefighters after their car got stuck in flood waters.

Fire crews were called to Buttsbury Wash, in Mountnessing Road, Mountnessing, shortly before 7.15pm today.

The woman had called 999 after her car got stuck and she was unable to get out of her vehicle.

The water was approximately four feet deep.

Crews from Ingatestone and Billericay, as well as the water rescue team based in Leigh, attended.

An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "Our control team took her details and immediately mobilised two fire engines and our specialist water rescue team from Leigh.

"The control operator could hear the woman was extremely panicked and so kept talking to her to reassure her until crews arrived at the scene. The control operator also advised her to get her child out of their car seat and sit with them until our firefighters got there."

The rescue team waded through the water and had managed to rescue the woman and child by 7.40pm.

The fire service has advised that just a foot or two of water is enough to float a car and six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars.

This depth can cause loss of control or possible stalling as water enters the car and damages the mechanical and electric components.

When confronted with floodwater the best thing to do is to stop and find an alternative route.