people were in the evacuation zone in the Derbyshire town. Firefighters have said crews need at least two
more days to pump enough water from the reservoir to prevent its dam bursting and flooding the area.
Twenty-two people, including some who initially left but have since returned to their homes, remained in
16 properties in the town yesterday morning. Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann has accused residents
who refuse to leave of endangering the lives of emergency staff who have to ensure their safety.
“We’ve still got 16 households with 22 people within them – no children,” Ms Swann told Radio 4’s Today
programme yesterday. “That number is obviously coming down because we continue to engage with them
on a daily basis, pointing out the risk to their lives and pointing out the risk to the lives of responders who
need to go in and speak to them.”
She added that police were “looking at all options” for removing the people and said she felt there was “no
support” for them from other residents who have left the town. “We’ve not evacuated for no reason,” Ms
Swann added. “We’ve evacuated this town because there is a real prospect that the dam could fail, and if it
fails it is catastrophic. People would die if they were in that evacuation zone. So those people who remain in
that zone are putting their lives at risk.”
Pipes continue to drain water from Toddbrook
reservoir (PA)At a residents meeting last night, Ms Swann reiterated that people could die if the dam broke while they
were in the evacuation zone. In response to a question from a resident who said he had been burgled, the
officer said the force was using a drone to patrol the streets. Julie Sharman, chief operating officer for the
reservoir’s owners, the Canal and River Trust, also attended the meeting and rejected a suggestion they had
failed to maintain the dam, saying the trust was subject to “the most stringent regulation”.
Although thunderstorms were forecast for Sunday night, posing a threat to the dam, they fortunately did
not materialise. But the UK could see up to 40mm of rain in the space of three hours as severe
thunderstorms are set to hit parts of the country this week.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for tomorrow, with thunderstorms covering almost all of
Scotland today and tomorrow. Those storms have the potential to bring between 20mm and 40mm of rain
in a 180-minute period, while other parts of England and Wales are expected to see heavy showers with up
to 20mm of rain in an hour, according to meteorologists. The areas covered by the warnings have been
advised to expect difficult driving conditions and potentially some road closures, as well as a risk of
flooding.