Fast-flowing flood water near Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, has claimed a man’s life
By Allen Cook
BBC News, West Midlands
A man has died after being swept away in flood water when a brook breached a road in Shropshire.
The victim, in his 60s, was reported to have gone under the water near Cleobury Mortimer at about 10:40 BST on Friday.
Police officers, paramedics and firefighters were called to the scene and found his body at about 12:35.
His death came as Storm Babet swept across the UK, battering the West Midlands with rain.
The family of the man, who was from the area, were being supported by specialist officers, West Mercia Police said.
Image source, Richie Heath
Homes and businesses by the River Severn in Bewdley, Worcestershire, flooded after work to install barriers was abandoned on Friday
Elsewhere, a pub manager said flood barriers were not put up in time to protect homes and businesses along the River Severn in part of Bewdley, Worcestershire.
Staff at The Mug House, on Severn Side North, had to get sandbags in place and move furniture out of the ground floor as it became “a little bit of a panic situation”, Eddie Hill said.
“It’s a massive surprise to everybody because normally the Environment Agency (EA) are very good, very on the ball,” he added.
The EA confirmed that installing barriers had become dangerous as the flood waters rose.
“It became unsafe for [workers] to continue, and the flood barriers were not deployed,” said the agency’s Marc Lidderth.
Telford’s new waterfall
In Staffordshire, a woman was rescued from fast-flowing water after she was swept 100m from her car, having tried to drive through a ford in Wombourne.
She got out of the vehicle and was then swept downstream before managing to grab a tree branch, the fire service said.
Image source, West Midlands Fire Service
A woman was rescued in Wombourne, Staffordshire, after her car got stuck in a flooded ford and she was swept downstream
In Northfield, Birmingham, a man had to climb on to the roof of his car when it was pushed 30 metres down a fast-flowing river.
The fire service said he had a “lucky escape” after he used a tree branch to get to the embankment.
Flooded Wood End Station
The storm brought significant rainfall to the region over 24 hours, with the Met Office recording 43mm (1.7 inches) of rainfall in Shawbury, Shropshire.
Many roads across the region were left impassable, while more than a dozen schools were closed, mainly in Worcestershire.
By Friday evening, 28 flood warnings had been issued by the EA for waterways across the West Midlands, along with 17 flood alerts.
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