A FISH keeper spent hours frantically trying to keep a pond topped up - after Friday night’s storm mysteriously “sucked all the water out”.

While others were struggling with flash flooding nearby, Celia Marker, of St Ives near Ringwood, woke up on Saturday morning to find around 3,000 gallons had disappeared from her garden water feature.

This resulted in her collection of 60 koi carp and goldfish having to swim in perilously shallow depths.

“When I got up and saw the pond, at first, I thought it must be a trick of the light,” said Celia.

“So I rushed down the garden in my nightdress and the pond only had about 10 inches of water in it.

“I was in an absolute panic and spent hours with the hose on full pelt because I thought there must be a leak.”

There was, however, no evidence that the lining of the 2.5m by 3m pond, which possesses a normal water level of 32 inches, had been breached.

“I phoned the Met Office and they said if there was a mini tornado and high winds then this could happen,” she added. "It is like the storm sucked all the water out."

“It was the worst possible timing,” she added. “But I’m relieved all the fish are okay – and the pump and waterfall are still working too.”

Celia is holding cream tea parties for animal clinics in Egypt between 2pm and 4.30pm on Wednesday and Saturday.