A MAN and a woman were rescued by boat after they were left stranded in 5ft of water when flash floods struck Wythall.

Redditch firefighters were drafted in to rescue the couple, who were found sitting on the roof of their Jeep Cherokee in Hounsfield Lane on Saturday at 9.30pm.

Wythall beat manager Pc Mark Townsend said the car was completely submerged by water.

The pair had managed to climb onto the roof and were rescued about an hour later.

He said flash floods were to be expected on that particular stretch of the lane in heavy rain and there were adequate warning signs and a gauge showing the depth of water.

He added: "People should never underestimate the power of water. On this particular stretch of the lane, the waters were very fast flowing and to try to drive through them was a dangerous idea.

"We urge people to approach this area with caution in heavy rain."

Wythall parish councillor Jill Dyer said Hounsfield Lane had been flooded several times by the River Cole, sometimes with disastrous results.

She said moves had been made about 10 years ago to culvert the water and Worcestershire County Council had looked into funding the proposal.

She said: "But the river rarely reaches those sort of heights and local residents know to choose a different route during heavy rain."