Water levels have continued to fluctuate over the past week and yesterday (Tuesday) the river ran dry again.

"It's stopped. It's unbelievable," said Val Boston-Davies, who owns Wares in King Street. "Something catastrophic has happened."

Last week, the Knutsford Guardian told how the river - just hours after being reduced to a trickle - was overflowing the next day.

"It's just ebb and flow, ebb and flow," said Mo Walker, who works at Stephen Edwards' electrical shop. "And now it's dry again. I can't believe it."

Concerns have been rising as much as the water levels.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Eric Ball, who lives in Egerton Square, said: "On Monday at about 1.30pm the river was surging and the water was ankle deep at Moorside.

"Today it's completely dry. People should let us know what is going on."

Environment Agency spokesman Steve Broughton said that rivers were unpredictable.

"It could be all sorts of things causing the problem," he said.

Earlier this year, the Environment Agency put a stop order on builders Egerton Estates shortly after they started work on the Lilybrook site in Brook Street.

They were recently ordered to remove a temporary culvert to ensure the smooth flow of the river.

Yesterday, no one was available for comment at Egerton Estates' head office in Alderley Edge.