Man found dead after being swept away as flash floods cause chaos across Britain

Council workers try to clear blocked drains as flood water settles (PA)

The body of a man has been found after he was swept away by a flash flood in Shropshire.

The man was found in a stream in Bitterley near Ludlow.

West Mercia Police said he was swept away after being overcome by water at around 10.30am today.

Police said the man who was in his 60s, has not yet been formally identified.

He was found following an extensive search involving fire crews, police and the Severn Area Rescue Association.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have caused widespread flash flooding in parts of central and Northern England today.

In south Shropshire a 90-year-old woman and two other people had to be rescued after roads became blocked.

Flooding has caused chaos in parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and the West Midland.

Today's incidents follow flooding in Northern Ireland on Wednesday night, which left around 1,000 homes without power.

Emergency response teams were alerted today amid fears that flooding in Northern Ireland overnight could be repeated today.

Emergency services received 700 call-outs linked to the floods in Belfast, while the local water authority said it had dealt with 3,000 flood calls.

In Herefordshire the council said that a number of roads across the area were submerged with the local flooding affecting Orleton, Brimfield, Yarpole and Kingsland.

People have been urged to be on alert for more flooding across northern England and the Midlands.

The Environment Agency said if drainage systems were overwhelmed there continued to be a risk of surface water flooding this afternoon and into the evening.

The heavy rain may also lead to rivers rising rapidly.

The Environment Agency warned the public to stay away from swollen rivers and not to try to drive through rainwater.

There are currently seven flood warnings in place for the Midlands and 48 less serious alerts across the Midlands, the north east and the north west of England.

The Environment Agnecy also urged the public to check its website and Twitter feed for the latest updates and river flood warnings.