Plumber rescued from flooded road

A plumber was forced to climb onto the top of his van to be rescued after becoming marooned in around two feet of water along a Staffordshire road.+

It came as torrential downpours hit the Midlands, which suffered the wettest day of the year to date yesterday as a month's worth of rain fell in just 24 hours.

Flood warnings were put in place in the region along with the North-east and Wales.

Click on the image on the right to see more pictures from the scene.

Van driver Stuart Wilkins, a self-employed plumber, had to be towed to safety after becoming stranded in Trescott Ford. Furnace Grange Road in Trescott, Staffordshire, was closed off by police after they towed the vehicle to safety.

Mr Wilkins, of The Parade, Dudley, said he hadn't realised the water was so deep until he started driving through.

"I got about halfway through and the engine cut out. The water was about two feet deep but I didn't know that when I went in," he said.

"I had to climb onto the top of the van to get a strap so it could be towed out."

Just last week, the ford was at an all-time low and barely more than a puddle as environment bosses declareda drought in the region. More rain was forecast throughout today.

Environment Agency spokeswoman Catherine Ellis today warned despite the much-needed downfall, the region was still officially in drought.

"Although we are seeing more rain in April, we need at least six months of above-average rainfall to undo the effects of two years of below-average rainfall and return to normal," she said.

"River levels have responded well but groundwater levels respond more slowly and in general are still continuing to decline." She urged people to use water wisely.