Flooding crash driver flees after hitting barriers

Officers were called to the A421 at the Marsh Leys junction roundabout with the A6 in Bedfordshire just after 23:00 BST after the car collided with barriers

Police are hunting for a driver who fled after crashing into barriers put up to block access to a flood-hit road.

Officers were called to the A421 at the Marsh Leys roundabout with the A6 at Kempston, Bedfordshire, just after 23:00 BST on Tuesday.

A blue Skoda Kamiq collided with the barriers blocking a slip road, endangering site workers and causing "considerable damage" to equipment used to tackle the flooding.

Bedfordshire Police said the driver was white, bearded, about 5ft 9in (1.8m) and wearing dark clothing and made off in the direction of the old A421.

Five passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries although none of the workers, who were still at the flood site, were injured.

The Marsh Leys roundabout was closed for part of Tuesday because of the flooding, but has since reopened.

It is just north of the stretch of the A421 near Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire, which has remained closed since 22 September after a month's worth of rain fell in 48 hours.

National Highways, which maintains the dual carriageway, has said with continued rainfall and run-off from surrounding areas it was "very difficult" to say when the road might reopen.

Anyone with information about the crash has been asked to contact Bedforshire Police.