Cumbria flooding: Sightseers hampering rescue efforts (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cumbria flooding: Sightseers hampering rescue efforts

3:10pm Friday 20th November 2009 in

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Sightseers are blocking routes into flood-hit towns in Cumbria ia bid to get a glimpse of the devastation, police said.

Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham said Cumbria Police was facing a “major rescue operation right through the weekend”.

He said efforts could be hampered by a number of sightseers who had come into Cockermouth and Workington and were causing difficulties for the emergency services.

He said: “Coming here today, there are lots of sightseers around, and I understand it’s a very unusual event, but it’s very difficult to drive through to get to Cockermouth and Workington.

”I’d ask people who aren’t local not to come here. Everyone should keep away from drains, and keep away from bridges.

”As we’ve seen very tragically bridges are vulnerable at the moment.”