A REDDITCH county councillor is calling for action after an elderly man had to be rescued from a flooded underpass connecting Winyates Green and Winyates East.
The drama unfolded on Monday afternoon when the man, on a mobility scooter, tried to go through the underpass.
He got stuck and Redditch Fire Brigade were alerted, arriving at 4.50pm and pulling the man clear.
A fire service spokesperson said the water was a metre deep and urged people to keep clear of the underpass.
The underpass, under Alders Drive, is a notorious spot for flooding and Councillor Tom Baker-Price (Con, Arrow Valley East) said the case had been being handled by North Worcestershire Water Management which is tasked with reducing flood risk while enhancing the environment.
However the issue had now been handed to the County Council’s highways department to sort out.
“This is a safety issue and I am waiting to hear from highways,” said Coun Baker-Price.
“It is a considerable problem and needs to be sorted as soon as possible.”
He said people should avoid the underpass but urged them to take care when crossing the busy Alders Drive as an alternative.
Local resident Julian Prouse said that three weeks ago he had cleared shopping trolleys, leaves and twigs from the underpass to try and get the water to drain away.
“It’s been like this for weeks,” he said.
“It is absolutely disgusting and stinks and it’s a busy route across Alders Drive for children going to school and for mums with prams.”
The underpass connects Oxleasow Road with Winyates Green via a footpath that runs alongside Blacksoils Brook and from there to Kingham Close in Winyates Green.
