Don’t drive through floods, drivers warned

Drivers have been warned not to drive through large bodies of standing water, as heavy rain today (Wednesday) left several drivers in the county stranded.

The Environment Agency issued a flood warning for parts of Trowbridge, Melksham, Holt, Malmesbury, Box, Sutton Benger and parts of the north west of the county.

During the worst of the rain, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service received over 60 calls to flooding throughout the county.

And by 2pm the service had ten fire crews and two special appliances dealing with incidents involving homes, businesses and stranded cars, as well as six officers conducting inspections to prioritise their attendance.

Several roads were badly affected by surface water flooding, and the A361 between Semington and Trowbridge was closed, with a number of cars and drivers stranded.

“Road closures are there for a reason, and drivers are asked to observe them,” warned a fire service spokesperson.

“Our advice to drivers is: don’t drive through standing water. As well as the water damaging your car, there may be hazards under the water you can’t see.

“If you see a sign to say that the road is closed due to flooding, remember the sign is there for a reason. Don’t try to drive through or you might get stuck.”