FLOODING caused chaos around Ludlow and Tenbury last week as hours of heavy rain made its mark around the town.

Roads closed and vehicles were submerged, and one man sadly died in floodwater in nearby Cleobury Mortimer.

The man, aged in his 60s, was swept away by fast-flowing floodwater from a brook that breached a road at Furnace Mill Fishery on Friday, October 20.

West Mercia Police officers, two West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics, a hazardous area response team, the Midlands Air Ambulance and Shropshire Fire and Rescue attended the scene.

The man was rescued from the water but could not be saved and was pronounced deceased at around 12.35pm that day.

West Mercia Police said: “While identification hasn’t yet taken place the family of a local man in his 60s have been informed and are being supported by officers.”

West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “When ambulance crews arrived on scene they quickly began working with fire and police colleagues to try and find the man, who was reported to have gone under the water by a member of the public.

“Following a thorough search and rescue operation, the man was rescued from the water but died at the scene.”

Another incident in the Ludlow area involved a driver becoming trapped in his submerged vehicle.

One crew from Tenbury Fire Station attended a property where flooding had been caused by water run-off from surrounding fields.

Ludlow Advertiser: The water was fast moving in LudlowThe water was fast moving in Ludlow (Image: Stephen Davis)

The Met Office issued a weather warning on Thursday, October 19, ahead of the arrival of Storm Babet, which remained in place until Saturday, October 21.

While the worst of the storm was in Scotland, Shropshire and Worcestershire faced significant problems as constant rainfall battered the county.

Train services between Shrewsbury and Hereford were affected, with some cancelled.

Police and highway maintenance teams closed several roads due to the downpour.

Ludlow Advertiser: The water at Ludford Bridge, LudlowThe water at Ludford Bridge, Ludlow (Image: Marlene May)

The rivers Teme and Corve and the Kyrle brook quickly filled up with rainwater, prompting flood warnings and alerts to be issued by the government.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said they had received more than 200 calls in the space of two hours during the storm.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service also dealt with hundreds of calls.