DRIVERS are being warned not to ignore signs about flooding after a driver got stuck near Chippenham and two drivers had to be rescued near Malmesbury.

Fire crews had to rescue a driver from floods at Langley Burrell and also attended a report of a driver stuck at Kellaways near Chippenham on Wednesday, January 15.

At Staverton, some drivers are ignoring the floodgate barriers on the B3106 Staverton to Holt road and driving around them and through the floods.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “It’s imperative people take any flood signs, road closures and flood gates they see seriously, as they are in place for a reason.

“If anyone attempts to try to pass through a flooded road, they run the real risk of getting stuck and putting themselves and their vehicle in danger.”

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service also warned drivers, saying they were taking a huge risk and could end up getting stranded.

At Malmesbury, a local fire crew rescued two adults after they drove into flood waters on Thursday morning at around 11.40am.

At Langley Burrell, a Chippenham fire crews on route to an incident at 9.29am were forced to assist a driver who had also driven into flood water in Sutton Lane and had become stuck.

The crews removed the vehicle from shallow flood water to safety.

The road had been closed by Highways because it was flooded but the signs appeared to have been moved and a number of drivers had driven through and become stranded.

Later, at Kellaways, two crews from Chippenham and Trowbridge attended a report of a man that had driven his van into floodwater and had become stranded just after 9pm.

Because of the potential danger of water rescues in deep or flowing water two appliances, a specialist water rescue team and an officer totalling 27 people were mobilised to this incident.

The crews carried out an extensive search but were unable to locate the driver or his van.

The road had been closed earlier by Highways but the crew found the signs had been moved. The crews put the road closed signs back in place as the road was still flooded.

As they were leaving the scene a milk delivery lorry ignored the signs and proceeded to drive down the flooded road.