Flood defences protecting Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium are close to breaking - would leave Swansea City clash in 'serious jeopardy'

The River Don’s rising water levels along the back of the stadium’s South Stand are now within inches of breaking a flood defence wall that was last breached when the pitch was submerged by floods back in 2007.

The club had initially said that they were not concerned that the stadium was under threat, but on Thursday evening a source close to the club admitted that if that wall was to be breached, the club’s match against Swansea on Saturday would be in ‘serious jeopardy’.

Homes close to the ground have been evacuated and roads have been closed after authorities issued further weather warnings in the Hillsborough area.

An amber Met Office weather warning issued on Thursday morning will last until 6am on Friday, with water levels expected to peak at some time around 3am.

The warning said that “Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings” and that “fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life”. Power cuts in the area are also forecast.

On Thursday a community awards event was cancelled at the stadium due to safety concerns.

Should the banks outside the ground hold up, there should be no fears over the integrity of the Hillsborough playing surface, which was fitted with a state-of-the-art drainage system in a £1m makeover in 2015. Further work was completed a year later.

The floods have caused chaos throughout Sheffield, with over 100 flood warnings issued in south Yorkshire alone.

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Video and photo taken at 8pm courtesy of Lee Hague