Tenbury Police have confirmed that a 57-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving following an incident in Herefordshire over the weekend where a tractor drove through floodwater generated by Storm Bert.
A video was circulated widely across social media over the weekend, which depicted a John Deere tractor traversing though the flooded streets of Tenbury Wells on Saturday, November 24, resulting in masses of water crashing up against the shop fronts lining the street
The force of the water exacerbated pre-existing flood damage suffered by many of the small and medium sized businesses in the town, which was caused by the high volumes of rainfall that fell during storm Bert on Friday night
According to their Facebook account, Pitter Potter, a pottery studio based on the street, had their windows broken by the the strength of the deluge produced in the wake of the tractor.
Inspector Dave Wise of Tenbury Police, who leads the safer neighbourhood team in Tenbury Wells, spoke about the arrest made on Monday, November 25, in relation with the incident:
“I’d like to thank everyone who brought this incident to our attention, and to the local community for their co-operation and support yesterday while we carried our initial enquiries.
“I understand the upset and anger that the incident caused, and I hope that the arrest we made on Monday evening offers reassurance that we are actively investigating it.
“Officers will continue to be out and about in Tenbury in the coming days to assist the local community and our partner agencies with recovery efforts following the flooding.”
It is not yet known as to why the suspect made the trip through the floodwater and whether he had any intent to cause damage.
Police investigations into the incident remain ongoing, and officers in Tenbury Wells continue to speak with business and property owners who may have been affected, as well as reviewing additional video footage.
Police have also acknowledged that the suspect has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.
