Flood barriers stay as more rain due

More rain is forecast for later in the week and flood barriers in Bewdley are expected to stay up in the meantime.

Keen photographer Joanna Noble captured these pictures showing swans on the River Severn in the town at the weekend.

Environment Agency officials say they are continuing to monitor the river and have urged people to be vigilant.

Agency manager for Worcestershire, Dave Throup, said: "The water levels rising in Bewdley is contained and not as serious in comparison to Upton and Worcester.

"However we do expect to keep the barriers up in place due to the severe weather forecasts over the next few days.

"The barriers have been up for around two weeks but we will continue to assess the flood risks day by day."

Mr Throup later tweeted that water was being pumped at Upton upon New Severn and New Street gate was 'holding back a serious amount of water' and a flood warning stated that a 'peak level' of water more than 16ft was expected to occur overnight.

Further flood warnings were put in place for the River Severn at Worcester, Kempsey, Hanley Castle and Saxons Lode.

It comes just a day after motorists faced hazardous roads and heavy traffic after severe storms and rain lead to long disruptions in Tipton.

Standing water was a problem on roads in the area with firefighters called upon to help clear flooded routes.

Fire crews spent more than an hour pumping water from a flooded road outside their own station.

Rain water had been building up at the roundabout which joins Alexandra Road with Upper Church Lane in Tipton. On Saturday it submerged half of the road prompting the local fire crew to act. Five crew members from the on-duty red watch worked to pump water from one drain which had been blocked to another.

Homes in Cumbria, Yorkshire and Scotland have been worst hit by storms in recent weeks, with the latest, Storm Frank, battering the UK.