Ambulance staff awarded honours

Leominster Ambulance Station was out of action for six weeks

More than 40 ambulance workers have been honoured for their work during July's floods across the West Midlands.

Heavy rain across large parts of the region caused flooding, leading to homes being evacuated and roads being closed.

The staff, from Birmingham, the Black Country, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire, were presented with their awards on Monday.

They were nominated for the awards by their peers.

They each received a Chief Ambulance Officer Commendation from the West Midlands Ambulance Service.

'New river'

One of those was James Andrews from Erdington, in Birmingham, who helped a disabled man who was stuck in his Sparkbrook house.

Mr Andrews said: "We made the decision that he had to be removed from his house rapidly, which involved carrying him through his back garden.

"We got to the bottom of the road and found there was a new river there. However, we moved him out to somewhere safe where he could get warm and have a cup of tea."

The flooding in the summer caused Leominster Ambulance Station to be out of action for six weeks.