Youth dies in flash flooding

A 17-year-old boy died after becoming trapped in a culvert during flash floods in Oxfordshire, police said on Wednesday.

The boy, who has not been named, was playing with friends in a field in Witney when he became stuck in a metal grate covering a concrete culvert on Tuesday evening.

Despite attempts by fire crews to rescue him in neck-high waters, the teenager was later pronounced dead at the local John Radcliffe hospital.

Another youngster was also taken to hospital, where his condition was not immediately known.

Nearly a month's rain fell in Oxfordshire on Tuesday, resulting in fire crews responding to about 120 calls linked to flash flooding.

A row of homes in the Tiddington area were affected by flood water.

Peter Cleary, from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, told the BBC how his team had tried to save the teenager trapped in the culvert.

"A culvert is like a concrete tunnel, which has some bars to stop weeds and debris from going any further, and it looks as if he was restricted at that point (by the bars).

"Our fire crews from Witney were in up to their necks in water.

"We wear buoyancy aids and jackets and we were doing all we could to try and save this lad.

"Unfortunately, this is just a real tragic event."