Man falls to his death in storms

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Cumbria was again hit by bad weather and flooding

A walker fell to his death and two men had to be rescued as storms brought flooding to Cumbria.

Paul Percy, 44, from Kirkby Lonsdale, died after suffering serious head injuries while climbing Dungeon Ghyll in the Langdales on Sunday.

Hours later, two men were rescued after they became lost near the summit of Scafell Pike.

On Monday pupils were led from a school at Low Crosby, near Carlisle, as the River Eden burst its banks.

Several flood warnings were in force in Cumbria and the Environment Agency warned homes and businesses could be flooded. More than a dozen flood watches were also in force.

'Horrendous conditions'

More than 90 pupils were led from Cosby on Eden primary school at Low Crosby, after staff became concerned at rising levels of the River Eden.

Elsewhere, sandbags were distributed to residents and businesses.

Cumbria firefighters assisted in at least two rescues after drivers became stranded in their cars as river water swept onto roads in Carlisle.

Bitts Park tennis air dome in Carlisle was also closed on Monday after wind damaged the polythene structure.

On Sunday mountain rescue volunteers spent 12 hours in an operation to find walkers, one of whom died.

Nick Owen, of Langdale and Ambleside Mountain rescue team, helped find the body of Mr Percy, who was a teacher at the Queen Elizabeth school in Kirby Lonsdale.

He said: "The weather was horrendous, we received a call from the man's friend who had been out there with him and thought he had just gone missing.

"After an extensive search we discovered him at the bottom of a gulley, we believe he must have fallen at least 70m (230ft)."