Downpours cause flooding and damage in Shropshire

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS caused flash flooding and left a trail of destruction across Shropshire and Mid Wales, including the closure of one school.

Greenfields Primary School in Shrewsbury had to close after a ceiling collapsed today, events were cancelled and Tesco Extra in Telford was unable to open for an hour yesterday because of a problem with flooding near its entrance.

Firefighters in south Shropshire had to help residents in Wentnor tackle flooding which was waist deep in one home. While in Mid Wales a "raging torrent" of water caused flooding on a road in Presteigne.

Andrew Morris, headteacher of Greenfields School, today said he had arrived this morning to find a ceiling had collapsed between an existing building and a new extension under construction. He said he was hopeful it could reopen tomorrow.

Mr Morris said: "There's a join between the old building and the new building but the heavy rain has managed to find a way through the tarpaulins at the top and bring down some of the ceiling. The worry is it could happen again.

"Flood watch alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency across the region as a result of the heavy rain."

Events, including the Maxxis British Moto Cross Championship at Hawkstone Park and Madeley Green Day, an annual event organised by Madeley Parish Council in Telford, were both victims of the weather yesterday and had to be scrapped.

The River Severn in Shropshire was today given the all-clear but alerts are in place for the Tern and Perry catchments and the Upper Teme.

Jim Bradford, of Tesco Extra on Wrekin Retail Park, said water had been coming through the ceiling of the store.

By Russell Roberts