Body found in search for missing police officer swept away in floods

A body was found today in the search for a police constable swept away when a bridge collapsed during the floods.

Cumbria Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham announced that an unidentified body was found on a beach.

Missing Pc Bill Barker, 45, had been directing motorists away from Northside bridge in Workington, Cumbria, when he disappeared into the swollen waters of the River Derwent early today.

Mr Graham said Pc Barker was "saving lives when the tragic incident occurred".

A major search for Pc Barker was hampered by "horrendous" weather conditions which forced hundreds of people to flee their homes.

Mr Graham said: "A full and thorough search is under way and we are not losing hope of finding him.

"We have a dedicated officer who is supporting the family during this distressing time.

"I'm devastated by the events of the last few days and particularly the news this morning that one of our officers is unaccounted for following the collapse of a bridge at Northside in Workington.

"However, I am so proud of the way our communities and the emergency services are working together in the face of this crisis.

"The officer who is unaccounted for is Pc Bill Barker, who has served the communities of Cumbria with the Constabulary for 25 years and currently works as a roads policing officer in Workington.

"He was directing motorists off the bridge, saving lives, when the tragic incident occurred.

"He is a valued colleague and friend of many officers and staff within the Constabulary - and to those in West Cumbria where he lives and serves."

Pc Barker received a long service and good conduct medal after 22 years service with the force.

Mr Graham said: "I'm very sad to have to report we've recovered a body on the beach of an individual. That has not been identified. Our thoughts go out to Pc Barker and his family.

"Pc Barker had been serving in Cumbria Police for 25 years. I've heard nothing but good reports about him today. He was a family man with four children."

Mr Graham said Pc Barker and a colleague went on the bridge on foot in an attempt to help drivers trying to get across it.

He said: "Unfortunately when they were on the bridge, the bridge gave way just due to the volume of water and Pc Barker went into the water and was swept away."

Mr Graham went on: "He was a family liaison officer, which means he was trained up to deal with disasters and comfort families.

"He was recently commended by the chief constable for some of the work he has been involved in."

He added: "Once again we must pay tribute to the emergency services who run towards danger when other people quite rightly run away from it and he's really put himself in danger."

The Northside Bridge was swept away at 4.40am, Cumbria Police said.

Mr Graham explained: "Members of the public were trying to cross the bridge, it was obvious they were going to put themselves in danger.

"So Pc Barker went out on to the bridge on foot to try and protect them. Unfortunately when they were on the bridge, the bridge gave way just due to the volume of water and Pc Barker went into the water and was swept away."

Mr Graham said there had been a major search operation in place to find the missing officer.

He said: "We've had helicopters in the sky with heat-seeking equipment to try and detect him. We've had RNLI boats in the water to try and find him.

"We've been looking at where he went in the water, we've been looking to see if he had been swept away."

Severe flooding in the county was driven by a combination of heavy rainfall, saturated ground and swollen rivers.

Four bridges collapsed, main roads were blocked, schools were closed and more than 200 people were forced to leave their homes in nearby Cockermouth overnight after the deluge struck.

Cockermouth appeared to be worst hit, with both rivers running through the town bursting their banks.

Residents said they feared more rain tonight would bring renewed flooding.

Alan Smith said: "The thing with the River Cocker is it can fall as quickly as it can rise.

"It's come down four foot from last night but the fells are sodden and if we get any more rain, it will just come straight off and into the river and the level will rise again.

"If we have persistent rain like last night and the day before, we will be back to square one."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the Government will provide anything needed to help during the flooding.

He said: "The Government will assist. I have said to the chief constable (of Cumbria police, Craig Mackey) if he needs anything we will provide it."

Families were being rescued from the floods in the town this morning.

Dinah Cooper, 80, and her son William were saved from their home on Croftside, one of the worst-hit streets.

Mr Cooper said he has lost all of his possessions but is just glad that his family are safe.

His wife Helen said: "My husband and mother-in-law were stuck in the house but me and my daughter were safe because I went to pick her up from school yesterday and when I came back I couldn't get back into my house.

"We've been so worried because they were stranded there overnight. We've got nothing left but the clothes we are standing in but I am so happy to see them safe."

Workington MP Tony Cunningham said the flood was "of biblical proportions", seen only "once every 1,000 years".

The Labour MP told Sky News: "The scale and the force of the devastation in Cockermouth is huge."

Mr Cunningham said it would have taken great force to destroy the Northside Bridge in Workington.

He said: "I went down to the bridge last night and I've never seen the River Derwent as wide as it was.

"The force of the river was absolutely incredible. This is a stone bridge. To wash away a bridge of that size and dimension is incredible."

Michael Dunn, manager of the Bitter End pub in Cockermouth, said the town would not recover until next year.

He said: "This is a tourist town as well so it will hit very hard.

"There were cars floating down the street. It will be a long time before Cockermouth recovers from this."

The Environment Agency said the rainfall over Cumbria reached record levels.

The agency's gauging station at Seathwaite Farm recorded 314.4mm (12.3 inches) in 24 hours up to 00.45am - a record for England.

Evacuated residents spent last night in emergency reception centres at Cockermouth Secondary School, Keswick Convention Centre, Ulverston Victoria Hall School, Penrith Leisure Centre and St Joseph's Secondary School in Workington.

Off-duty police officers are coming in to work to help with the rescue operation, Mr Graham said today.

He told BBC News: "The emergency services have stepped up to the plate today in very difficult circumstances and as we speak, fire, rescue and police are working well together to try and alleviate a very difficult situation.

"We've been working through the night. We're planning for the worst so we plan to work right through the weekend.

"We're inundated with calls from our officers who are coming in off-duty wanting to to help and we've been inundated with calls from right across the region, right across the north-west of England from other police forces, other emergency services who want to come and help us."

Locals in Workington said Pc Barker had gone to the aid of a car on the bridge which had become stuck as the structure gave way, although Cumbria Police said he had been diverting traffic away.

Robin Taylor, 50, a maintenance engineer from Workington, said: "I have lived here for 28 years and I've never seen anything like this.

"I was told the police officer had responded to an emergency call and gone to the bridge to help a car that had become stuck and, as he was leading them away, the pavement side of the bridge collapsed first and he was gone.

"It is really sad, I thought it was absolutely shocking.

"Most of Workington is cut off now because the bridges have collapsed and the main roads into town are shut.

"The banks are all closed, telephone lines have gone down in part of the town, the supermarkets are shut because the gas main was on the bridge so part of the town has no supply."

Police officers at the scene were putting on a brave face after losing a colleague as they kept onlookers back from the banks of the River Derwent close to the collapsed structure.

Parts of the town close to the river are under water but, unlike Cockermouth, only a few houses have been flooded, according to locals.

A few hundred yards up the river from the scene of the tragedy, water lapped the top of the main West Coast railway line bridge, with workers in fluorescent overalls checking parts of the structure.