Liverpool flood deaths: Two die after driving car into floodwater

Officers were called to Queens Drive on Saturday night

A man and woman have died after becoming trapped in their car in a flooded road in Liverpool.

It happened in Queens Drive in the Mossley Hill area shortly before 21:00 BST on Saturday night, police said.

Passers-by fought to help the pair, named locally as married couple Philip and Elaine Marco, who were stuck inside a black Mercedes in deep floodwater.

Emergency workers took them to hospital, but they were pronounced dead.

Amateur footage filmed in the area appears to show water gushing on to the road - which dips under a bridge.

Met Office data shows heavy rain at more than 32mm (1.25 inches) an hour was falling close to where it happened.

Merseyside Police said the pair's next of kin have been informed and formal identification has been made.

Det Ch Insp Mike Dalton said: "Our thoughts go out to the family of the man and woman who sadly lost their lives in this tragic incident, despite the best efforts of passing members of the public, our officers and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services. 

"We are at the early stages of an ongoing investigation to establish the circumstances.

"Road closures remain in the area and motorists are advised to avoid the road."

People living in the area told the Liverpool Echo Queens Drive has been problematic for some time

A Liverpool City Council spokesman said highways staff had assisted the police, adding: "Our thoughts are with those involved and their families."

The authority reiterated a plea for motorists to continue to avoid the area while the investigation takes place.

People living in the area told the BBC the road has been problematic for decades with cars and buses getting stuck in deep water there.

Fifty-four-year-old Mike Sims said he regularly got stuck in flood water when he cycled to school more than 40 years ago.

"Often when it rained it would be up to my waist and I had to get off my bike and walk," he said.

"My mother was stranded in her car in waist high water whilst dropping us of at school. Her mini van was flooded and pushed by passers-by."

He said buses also used to get trapped when it rained.

Liverpool's deputy lord mayor Richard Kemp said he had raised concerns about flooding in the area for about 20 years.

In a letter to the council, he said short-term measures had been carried out, such as flushing out the drains, but "this has never been enough".

"The major problem is that the core of the drainage system is more than 150 years old and is clearly inadequate," he said.

He called for action including a better drainage system, better lighting and an electric warning system for drivers.

Rebecca Wilson, who was in a taxi in Queens Drive around the time, told the Liverpool Echo she thought the flooding might have been caused by a burst pipe.

She described her experience as "terrifying", saying the water was "gushing down like waterfall" and that it looked like a burst dam.

Police are appealing for anyone who was in Queens Drive and saw what happened, or stopped to try and help, to come forward.

A file has been passed to the coroner.