Two people die in flooding accident

Two men have died as they attempted to clear flood water from a flooded rugby club in Gloucestershire.

It is thought that the two men, reported to be a father and son, were using a petrol-powered pump to clear water from the cellar of Tewkesbury Rugby Club and may have been overcome by petrol fumes.

They were found dead by police this morning when officers were called to the scene following reports that the two men could not be contacted.

Terry Standing, chief fire officer for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, warned that petrol pumps should remain outside properties when they were being used, or electric ones should be used instead. He told reporters: "We have a team of crews who can pump out properties, so there is no need to take any unnecessary risks."

These are not the only deaths to occur as a result of the floods. On Tuesday, the body of a man in his forties was pulled from the River Great Ouse, while a woman lost newborn baby twins despite attempts by the RAF to rescue them in Tewkesbury.

More than 340,000 people in Gloucestershire are still without running water, after a treatment plant flooded. Severn Trent Water has supplied bowsers to Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester and has warned that residents could remain without running water for two weeks.

The Health Protection Agency has warned people to avoid coming into direct contract with floodwater, because of a small risk of contracting a stomach bug or diarrhoea.

On Thursday, the Met Office confirmed that May, June and July have been the wettest months since records began.

Three severe flood warnings are still in place - two on the Thames around Oxford and one on the Ock, near Abingdon in Oxfordshire - along with seven flood warnings and 18 flood watches.

However, conditions along the River Thames are improving as levels along the river in Oxfordshire and Berkshire appeared to have stabilised overnight.

Levels are expected to drop in areas including Reading, Purley and Henley and flood warnings in areas including Marlow, Cookham, Datchet, Wraysbury, Staines, Laleham and Shepperton have been downgraded to the less serious flood watches.

However levels in Oxford are expected to remain the same for another two days.

It has been reported that the Parliamentary Environment Committee is to hold an inquiry into the recent flooding.

(KMcA/SP)