Police are investigating after a tractor drove through a flooded high street in Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire, triggering a wave of water that hit local businesses, smashing windows and knocking doors open.

West Mercia police said they were aware of videos on social media showing the tractor driving through the flood water on Sunday and that they were investigating.

“We’re actively investigating the incident and officers are in Tenbury Wells this morning speaking to people whose businesses and properties may have been affected, as well as reviewing additional video footage,” the force said. “No arrests have been made at this time.”

Video footage shows the large green tractor ploughing through the flood waters as onlookers gasp. People can be heard saying: “Oh my good God,” and: “You have not just done that, you idiot.”

...

“It’s devastating, that’s the only word for it,” said Paul Birkin, the owner of the Crow pub. “Yes it was bad, the water had come up, but nothing would have happened to the pub if it wasn’t for the tractor. There wasn’t a drop of water in here until he drove through.

“This business would have probably got away with it but he came down, for whatever reason, at that speed.”

The locked front doors of the pub were pushed open and smashed, along with the windows next to it, with the wave of water knocking sandbags across the room.

“What happened yesterday – yes the floods are terrible, we are used to that, we prepare the best we can. But nothing could prepare you for what that person did with the tractor. It was totally unnecessary,” Birkin said.

Video

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18609824

'Big cats' were spotted near a farm but the animals ran off before the witness could take a photo to prove once and for all the legends of 'leopards on the loose'.

The latest sightings both took place on Saturday night many miles apart at Woodmancote, near Defford, and at Eastham between Great Witley and Tenbury Wells.

The sighting at Eastham was so sudden and surprising, the driver said it caused him to swerve the car slightly in shock.

...

A witness said: "I saw two big cats in Woodmancote near Defford crossing the road last night opposite Copeland Court Farm.

"They were definitely big type cats. I stopped my van but they ran off into fields before I could get photos. I probably couldn't have got a decent shot because it was dark.

...

"I'd say they was about the size of a big dog."

Meanwhile, a further sighting has been described in Eastham which is out towards Tenbury Wells, also on Saturday night, at 7.48pm.

Writing on the Evesham and Villages Big Cat Group, the witness said: "A large black cat was spotted by myself entering a field in Eastham (WR15) on Saturday night. I saw the rear end of an animal approximately 18 to 24 inches tall. It was way too big to be a domesticated cat and it wasn't a dog or any other normally seen animal. The animal caused me to swerve slightly when I saw it due to its size."

...

The shocking sightings of large leopard-like cats have been reported as recently as this year in Harvington, near Evesham and others date back 20 years.

Possible sightings have now been noted in Harvington (this year), Gorse Hill and Elbury Mount Local Nature Reserve, Aldington (between Offenham and Badsey), near Kidderminster, near The Walshes in Stourport, Upton Snodsbury, Powick, Madresfield, the Lenchford Inn at Shrawley, Bewdley, Bentley (near Bromsgrove) and Stoke Prior.

Many of these encounters are in Worcestershire's wildest tracts of country. However, not all are in remote areas with one dog walker describing how she fled a Worcester nature reserve with her two powerful dogs, one of which was bred to fight wolves.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18397906

A film primarily shot in Malvern which claims to be "the best British horror comedy since Shaun of the Dead" has premiered to a sold-out audience.

Bad Things, a new film about AI infecting young people and turning them into killing machines that target old people, had its first showing at the Worcester Film Festival.

The movie, which has taken more than five years to produce was worked on by around 30 young people from across the county to give them a chance to work in the industry.

The director hopes the film will be screened worldwide after its resounding success being one of the first events to sell out at this year's Worcester Film Festival.

IMDb