School bus stranded after Storm Bert floods
More than 50 children were rescued after a school bus became stuck in flood water in Worcestershire.
Police reported no injuries, according to Prince Henry's High School in Evesham following the incident on Monday morning, which was believed to have happened near Eckington Bridge on the B4080.
The bus was thought to have left the road and ended up in a ditch with flood water around it, the school said.
Several schools have closed in the county following heavy flooding in the wake of Storm Bert, with Tenbury Wells the worst-affected area.
A flood wall collapsed on the Kyre Brook on Sunday, sending tonnes of water through the streets of the town.
A landslip nearby also shut a road at Rochford.
Prince Henry's High School said police at the scene of the stranded bus reported students were safe and well.
The BBC understands 57 children plus the bus's driver were rescued in total, thanks to two boats from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.
A replacement bus was planned to transport children to school.
"We will meet the students when they arrive at school and make sure that they have some hot drinks and food, before going to lessons," according to a statement issued earlier.
Several schools said they would be closed, with some citing localised floods and others pointing to problems with nearby roads.
Among them was Tenbury High Ormiston Academy in Tenbury Wells, which served as a relief centre on Sunday for people affected by flooding.
The school said damage caused to the town had been "devastating".
Nearby Lindridge St Lawrence’s CE Primary School was also shut on Monday.
Footage of a tractor being driven through the flooded streets, causing bow waves to hit shop windows, caused anger on social media.
Louise Preston, who owns pottery shop Pitter Potter in Tenbury, said the store's front window was smashed by the water when the tractor drove past.
Water rose so quickly in a brook in the town that it caused the wall holding it back to collapse, sending water gushing into the street in seconds.
The area has been earmarked for a flood defence scheme. Costs have been rising over recent times. The latest estimate was over £7m and the Environment Agency is looking at ways to bring the price down.
Marc Lidderth, from the agency, said: "The scheme itself is obviously a very complex scheme. Tenbury is a historical, beautiful market town, has lots of heritage.
"That provides complexities in terms of designing a scheme.
"What we've also found is that under that kind of final design that we have, it's obviously a very expensive scheme to deliver and what we have now is a partnership funding gap.
"We're trying to do what we can to try and find the funds to do that and we'll continue to work with the community of Tenbury to see what offer and solutions we can come up with for that scheme."
In Herefordshire, St Mary’s CE Primary School in Credenhill, Westfield School in Leominster and Orleton Primary School had all confirmed they would be closed.
Elsewhere, a man had to be rescued from his car in Walsall as West Midlands Fire Service warned people not to drive through flood water.
There was also rail disruption across the region, including between Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and from Worcester Foregate Street to Great Malvern and Hereford.
A number of roads across Herefordshire and Shropshire were closed, including the B4203 at Bromyard, and the A49 near Church Stretton.
Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
