A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving after shocking footage showed a tractor being driven through floodwater in Worcestershire during Storm Bert.
West Mercia Police said the 57-year-old has been released on bail while inquiries continue into what happened in Tenbury on Sunday.
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Many business owners in the town said waves caused by the tractor smashed windows of already flood-hit premises and worsened the deluge in some areas protected by sandbags.
Videos of the tractor ploughing through the floodwater caused outrage after they circulated on social media.
Inspector Dave Wise, who leads the safer neighbourhood team in Tenbury Wells, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who brought this incident to our attention and to the local community for their cooperation and support yesterday while we carried our initial inquiries.
“I understand the upset and anger that the incident caused, and I hope that the arrest we made yesterday evening offers reassurance that we are actively investigating it.
“Officers will continue to be out and about in Tenbury in the coming days to assist the local community and our partner agencies with recovery efforts following the flooding.”
Parts of Tenbury town centre were flooded by the Kyre Brook after a wall reportedly collapsed.
Seeing the footage shared on social media, one user wrote: “Sends a 6ft bow wave through Tenbury shop windows. Locals understandably livid.”
Another resident added: “The scenes from Tenbury Wells are shocking and to read someone driving a tractor at speed through the flood water and causing more damage is unbelievable.”
While a third added: “We all managed to keep the water out of the shops etc, he’s driven through, smashed all the windows and doors and bankrupted Tenbury.”
Storm Bert caused floods to swamp the Worcestershire market town on Sunday.
The nearby Kyre Brook burst its banks and swept away a brick wall before coursing down the town’s main street.
Rescuers were heard shouting “get back” as locals scrambled to dodge the surging waters.
Small shop owners were seen consoling each other as they assessed the damage the storm had on their businesses.
However, several praised the locals in the town for coming together in this difficult time.
Louise Preston, 20, who co-owns pottery shop Pitter Potter with her mum, said: “People are banding together really, really well.
“Our business, personally, has not suffered anywhere near as badly as it could have done.”
She said the business had lost a window, adding: “What has been really heart-warming to see is the community spirit.
“We’ve had police support officers down, the firemen were marvellous yesterday, Tesco has been giving people free cleaning materials, the cafes – who themselves have suffered – have been donating free tea and coffee to everybody.
“As a town, we seem to be coping quite well.”
It comes after Brits brace for another hammering of “persistent and heavy” rain just days after Storm Bert devastated homes across the UK.
And this is the baffling moment police stopped a reckless driver who used shoelaces to operate his windscreen wipers during Storm Bert.
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