Major update on Tenbury Wells tractor driver arrested for 'ploughing down flooded street'

Footage shared connected societal media shows the tractor make a immense question of water, which is said to person damaged businesses successful Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire amid Storm Bert

A tractor operator arrested aft allegedly ploughing his conveyance done flooded streets was rushing to get to a child, friends say.

The motorist was branded an "industrial-strength idiot" aft footage posted connected societal media showed a question from the tractor's aftermath smash store windows successful in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire. Floodwater surged done the historical municipality connected Sunday amid Storm Bert's devastation.

Police investigated the clip and arrested a 57-year-old antheral connected Tuesday connected suspicion of transgression harm and unsafe driving. He has since been bailed, West Mercia Police said.

A person of the man, said to beryllium a landowner successful the marketplace town, issued an apology connected his behalf connected societal media, portion others said helium "did thing without thinking". Another person besides took to societal media connected the man's behalf, writing: "I person been asked to walk connected a connection of apology from the operator of the tractor.

"The tractor was being taken to an worker truthful helium could usage it to get done the rising floodwaters to cod his child. In his unreserved to get it to his subordinate of staff, helium realised excessively precocious that helium drove faster than helium should have, and didn't see the interaction connected surrounding buildings. He is profoundly atrocious for the upset and harm caused. He has spoken with constabulary and his security institution and volition bash immoderate is indispensable to enactment things right."

But galore concern owners said the enactment created harm to already-flood-hit premises and worsened flooding successful immoderate areas protected by sandbags. In the video radical tin beryllium heard saying: "That's caused truthful overmuch damage, each the shops up the precocious street."

Before the apprehension was made, constabulary said they "understood the upset and choler the incidental caused" connected Sunday. The surge of h2o gushed down the streets aft a partition collapsed by Kyre Brook connected the borderline of Tenbury Wells. 

Darren Pugh, who runs a jewellery store successful Tenbury with his woman Carol, said helium came '"very close" to being swept away. He told the Daily Mail helium was stood waiting to beryllium picked up by a occurrence work vessel and taken to his store erstwhile "the tractor approached and it sent a question overmuch higher than the beforehand of my store premise, astatine slightest 11, 12 feet up the beforehand of the Crow Inn and pushed each the beforehand doorway in. I climbed the trellis connected the span to get retired of the mode due to the fact that the question would person pushed maine into the brook."

Milo and Bridie Jackson, of Unwined Tapas Restaurant and Bar, said their concern had been "utterly devastated". Mr Jackson said: "The tractor bow question destroyed our entranceway Christmas garland which was up to 1.2 metres (4ft), showing however precocious the question was arsenic it deed the restaurant. We are a household concern and we've each been present moving level retired for 2 days (to wide up) - the family, our fantastic unit and friends."

Paul Birkin, proprietor of the Crow Inn pub, said: "Nothing would person happened to the pub if it wasn't for the tractor. There wasn't a driblet of h2o successful present until helium drove through. The locked beforehand doors of the pub were pushed unfastened and smashed, on with the windows adjacent to it, with the question of h2o knocking sandbags crossed the room.

"Yes, the floods are terrible, we are utilized to that, we hole the champion we can. But thing could hole you for what that idiosyncratic did with the tractor. It was wholly unnecessary."

Speaking connected Tuesday, a West Mercia Police spokesperson a antheral had been arrested earlier being bailed connected suspicion of transgression harm and unsafe driving.