Council worker hit by car driving through flood

A council has urged motorists not to drive through flooded roads after a highways worker was hit by a car that ignored a closure.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) said the incident happened at the closure of the A29on Monday morning when a white Land Rover pushed through barriers, hitting a member of the highways team who was dealing with the flooding.

The worker was not injured, but the council said the matter had been reported to police and witnesses were being asked to contact officers on 101.

Flooding has led to a number of road closures, including the A29 Shripney Road, which has been shut at the Saltbox Roundabout in Bersted since 2 February due to "exceptionally high water levels".

Two flood warnings remain in place in West Sussex for Fittleworth on the Western River Rother and Pulborough on the River Arun, where flooding is expected.

A further 17 flood alerts remain active across the county, meaning flooding is possible.

The council said it understood the disruption caused to drivers by road closures, but warned attempting to drive through floodwater could delay the reopening of roads and potentially worsen flooding by pushing water into nearby homes.

The county council also said drivers risked invalidating their insurance if their vehicles were damaged by water ingress.

A spokesperson said officers on site were "there to help" and should not be subjected to verbal or physical abuse.

"We want to resolve the issues caused by the adverse weather as quickly as possible," they added. "We ask the public for patience while we do so."

The council said above-average rainfall was putting "significant pressure on parts of the county, including our highways".

It says: "The unprecedented levels of rain and prolonged severe weather mean water levels are high and drainage systems are overwhelmed.

"These conditions continue to hamper our efforts to repair our roads and keep them open and we appreciate the frustration among our communities.

WSCC's spokesperson said: "The county council and our partners are working hard responding to flooding on our roads and identifying longer-term solutions."

Simon Partridge, Met Office senior operational meteorologist, says: "The weather is set to remain unsettled throughout the remainder of the week with further spells of wet and windy weather for many areas of the UK.

"With so much rain having already fallen over parts of the UK this year, many areas are sensitive to further rainfall. Therefore, further rainfall warnings are likely as the week progresses."

Partridge warns: "There is currently no sign of any prolonged dry weather for the next seven to 10 days."

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