Residents of the French town of Lourdes are clearing up after severe flash floods which forced the closure of its holy shrine.

The town's Massabielle cave, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a local girl, is one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, attracting nearly six million visitors every year.

The cost of repairing the shrine is expected to run into hundreds of thousands of euros.

Julie Peacock reports.