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By Hannah Rodger

A CHILD has been rescued after falling into a river which burst its banks amid torrential rain.

The boy fell into the Luggie Water, near Cumbernauld Rugby Club, around 5pm last night sparking a major emergency services response in the area.

Dozens of locals took to social media to express their fears for the boy’s safety, with many ready to help with the rescue if needed.

They reported seeing police cars racing to the scene at Chapelton Road, while a police helicopter circled overhead.

By 6pm the boy had been pulled from the water and was being treated by paramedics on site.

It came after the rugby club had to cancel matches scheduled for yesterday after the pitches were flooded, and the river’s water level rose dramatically with the overnight downpours.

A police spokesman said: We were called about 5.05pm to reports that a boy had fallen in to the river at Chapelton road, Cumbernauld.

“The boy has since been rescued.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service also confirmed they had attended the incident.

Across Scotland, wind and rain battered towns and cities with widespread travel disruption affecting many rail services.

A yellow warning was issued by the Met Office for “persistent and heavy rain” overnight on Friday into Saturday, with chances of “spray and flooding” causing problems on the roads. In Glasgow city centre, Hope Street was closed after debris fell from a hotel due to the wind, and the Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing were shut to large vehicles.

Trains between Glasgow and Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Stirling were delayed or cancelled due to flooding on the line, and the A1 was also shut to high-sided vehicles due to strong winds. The conditions also affected those taking part in the Great Stirling Castle Run on Saturday. One runner, Kathryn Wylie, said it was “surprisingly enjoyable... even with the mud and rain”.

Elsewhere Joyce Burnett, a golfer in Callander, spoke about “streams and puddles in places I haven’t seen before at my home course” following “extremely heavy rain”.

Further heavy rain is expected to fall tomorrow, with forecasters issuing a warning for wind for the west coast of the country on Monday.

The yellow warning from the Met Office is in place from 12pm until midnight on Monday, and states “Widely there is a very windy period expected Monday afternoon and evening with some disruption to travel likely.Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely

“Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely, some short term loss of power and other services is possible

“It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves.”