Stricken sheep saved in Rugeley as river bursts banks

Around 25 officers from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue were called to Wolseley Bridge Farm on the A51 Rugeley Bypass at around 8am yesterday by the public.

The River Trent had burst its banks and around 40 sheep were in danger.

Firefighters used boats to reach the animals, which were huddled in groups on the field at the edge of the water.

Officers then entered in specialist dry suits and herded the sheep out, lifting them to dry land. Four sheep, which farmer Peter Till says were spooked by the rescue, fell into the water and were swept away in the current. They died at the scene.

The fire service said the rescue was carried out as quickly as possible. Spokeswoman Sarah Collis said: "This was a tough and long job. It takes a lot of patience and time when there are animals involved, as they can be unpredictable.

"We estimate there were around 40 sheep affected. From a distance there looked to be around 10 sheep because they were all huddled together. It seemed like a never-ending rescue at one point.

"Unfortunately a few did lose their lives, but the sheep who could be saved were."

Mr Till, who has owned the farm for 16 years, today criticised the authorities, claiming the Environment Agency issued no flood warnings for the area. He said: "What happened here was a tragedy. Had we been warned, the sheep wouldn't have even been there." Mr Till, who estimates the damage will cost thousands, says he is now looking to claim compensation.

The Environment Agency was today unavailable for comment.

Mr Till also claimed the field never had serious flooding before the Rugeley Bypass was built.

But transport county councillor Mike Maryon said: "With all major schemes we always work closely with partners such as the Environment Agency, and extensive environmental studies and flooding modelling will have been carried out as part of the planning process to build the bypass."