Chesterfield: Inquiry into Derbyshire Police response over flooding death

A police force has referred itself to a watchdog after an 83-year-old woman died during flooding.

Maureen Gilbert was found dead by her son at her home in Chesterfield on Saturday morning.

Paul Gilbert has said he and other residents on the street had urged authorities to take action after flooding in the area in 2007.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had received the referral over the force's response.

Derbyshire Police said the referral was mandatory due to officers being involved with the evacuation of homes in the area on Friday.

"This was part of a multi-agency response in which the force was supporting colleagues from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service who were evacuating properties," a force spokesperson said.

An IOPC spokesperson said it had received the referral, adding: "We are now carrying out an assessment to determine what further action is required from us."

On Monday, a government minister said the Environment Agency was working to "fully review what happened".

Mr Gilbert found his mother dead in the house in Tapton Terrace.

He said firefighters could not get into his mother's house on Friday after breaking a window and attempting to smash the door, so "gave up".

In response, the fire service said the situation was "incredibly testing".

Mr Gilbert said that on Friday, the water level was "well over two metres high", the road was closed, and firefighters, an underwater team and police were on the scene.

He said the fire service told him they had tried to get his mother out of her home.

"They wanted to give up. I told them if they gave up, I was going to go and do it. They had another one try," he told BBC Look North.

"They gave up and went about 20:00. The leader of fire and rescue said he would put it down on record as unconfirmed and as soon as it was light, they would try and gain access, and hopefully find her upstairs."

Mr Gilbert said he went home and did not sleep, then returned on Saturday morning when the water levels had dropped and found his mum downstairs in the water.

Clive Stanbrook, who was in charge of the fire service's response on Friday, said: "To lose one of our community is absolutely devastating and each one of us feel it very, very personally.

"The firefighters on a daily basis put our lives on the line to help anyone we can in the communities in Derbyshire.

"The situation on Friday and all over this weekend was incredibly testing with limited light and incredible fast-flowing water. We do constantly all we possibly can."

The fire service said it was carrying out an internal investigation into the response and the evacuation of homes in the area on Friday.

It also said it would comply with a coroner's inquiry into Mrs Gilbert's death.

The service said it could not comment further while those inquiries continued but a spokeswoman added: "The thoughts and sympathy of everyone at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service are extended to Maureen's family, friends and the wider Chesterfield community affected by her death."

In the Commons, environment minister Rebecca Pow was asked by Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, why residents on Tapton Terrace only received a phone call from the early warning system after their houses had already been flooded.

She responded the Environment Agency was working "very closely" with residents to "fully review what happened".

Across Derbyshire, about 1,700 homes were evacuated over the weekend after heavy rainfall led to flooding.

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