Police divers involved in the search for an elderly man who went missing during this week’s storms have recovered a body.
Russell Sherwood, 69, went missing after leaving his home in Neath, South Wales, on Monday morning.
Teams searching the river Ogmore said they had discovered a car believed to be Sherwood’s silver Ford Focus lying upside down in the water but initially could not reach it as conditions were too treacherous.
On Wednesday South Wales police tweeted that a body had been found. The tweet said:
Police divers searching for missing Russell Sherwood have this morning located a body. A recovery operation at River Ogmore is ongoing ^CL https://t.co/TEpYCwUUnN
— South Wales Police (@swpolice) November 23, 2016
Meanwhile, police in Kent were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a 39-year-old woman who lost her life after being pulled from rough seas near Folkestone on Tuesday. The woman was airlifted to hospital but died.
The death is being referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Kent Police said. Police received a call concerning the welfare of the same woman at around 6.30pm on Monday and referral to the IPCC was “mandatory” in such circumstances.
The Environment Agency (EA) is warning people across England who live close to rivers and streams to remain vigilant following this week’s heavy rain as water feeds through the system in the coming days.
Though much of the UK was enjoying drier weather on Wednesday morning, almost 100 warnings and alerts remained in place from Cornwall through the Midlands, up to Greater Manchester and the north-east.
Twelve warnings were in place that flooding was expected and immediate action required.
The EA said water levels on the river Stour from Sturminster Newton to Wimborne in Dorset were continuing to rise.
Flood warnings were also in place on the river Ouse at Naburn Lock in York and stretches of the river Severn in Gloucestershire.
The mainline train track between Tiverton and Exeter in Devon remained closed after the track was washed away in seven places by the torrential rain.
The railway company GWR said on Wednesday morning it did not expect to complete work until 4pm. The Barnstaple branch line in north Devon and the Looe line in Cornwall also remained closed.
