Police car in deep trouble

A police Land Rover had to be pulled out of a gaping hole in Stafford today after a red-faced officer drove into floodwater.

The Discovery 4x4, said to only have 800 miles on the clock, was submerged up to its bonnet in water when it fell into the hole, caused by a burst water main.

The gaping hole on Queensville, off the A34, opened up at around 3.30am, causing residents so much alarm they called 999. Police, firefighters and workers from Severn Trent were called out to deal with the problem. The burst main threatened to flood homes on the residential street near Queensville roundabout.

It is thought the officer driving the Discovery was trying to gauge the depth of the flood when his car fell into the hole at around 5am. The vehicle was later recovered and the hole, estimated to be around 3ft deep and 12ft wide, was expected to be repaired later today.

Pensioner Bill Vernon, aged 73, lives right outside the burst water main and saw the entire drama unfold. He told the Express & Star the embarrassed officer was "not very happy" when he had to clamber out of the car in front of a crowd of amazed onlookers. Mr Vernon said: "He (the police officer) drove straight into the hole. I think he was going to try and see how deep it was, but we could have told him that.