Storms hit the Cotswolds (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Storms hit the Cotswolds

AS the skies grew dark on Tuesday everyone peered out of windows waiting for the first crack of thunder and bolt of lightening.

The storm, which left some homes and businesses in the Cotswolds without electricity, also caused floods.

In Coates police were called out to direct traffic after the torrential rain left a flood of 2ft deep water under the Thames Head bridge.

Traffic was forced to go slow for some time at 4.10pm but police were able to keep it moving.

Meanwhile Woodward Close in Tetbury, Queen Elizabeth Road, Roseway and Barton Lane in Cirencester, Stratton Heights, the A429 at Fossebridge and Berkeley Close and Robert Franklin Way in South Cerney were all flooded.

A Gloucestershire County Council spokesman said: "County council Highways attended various sites providing temporary flood boards and sandbags and clearing off the tops of drains.

"No roads were closed due to the flooding and all localised flooding had subsided by 6pm."

Two unlucky customers at the Kingsmeadow Tesco in Cirencester were also affected by the storm.

A woman who ran to get out of the rain later noticed her purse had fallen out of her trouser pocket.

When she returned to the site the black leather Next purse, which contained £60 cash, bank cards and £35 worth of vouchers, had gone. It happened between 4pm and 4.30pm on Tuesday.

At about the same time a man was sheltering from the storm outside the front door of the Kingsmeadow Tesco when thieves stole a mobile phone from his trouser pocket.

The Samsung E600 is silver.

A Southern Electric spokesman said there were about 10,000 homes in the area that had suffered power cuts but everyone was due to be connected again by yesterday (Wednesday) lunchtime.

He said: "Repairs happened overnight but a low mist that came down was restricting visibility and slowed the process down."

No major storm-related incidents were reported in the north Cotswolds, although Stow-on-the-Wold fire service was called to four minor incidents. The firefighters were called to the Old Stocks Hotel, the Square, Stow, where they inspected the chimney to confirm it was safe after being struck by lightning.

They were also called to College Farm, Wyck Rissington, where water was seeping into a woman's hallway but she stemmed the flow by shutting her door and putting towels against the bottom of it.

The firefighters went to elderly people's accommodation at Bourton-on-the-Water Hospital to deactivate fire alarms being activated by lightning.

Finally, they went to a shop in Stow Square where water was coming through the roof but staff had already swept most of it away.

At the height of the storm, between 4pm and 6pm, someone stole £320-worth of goods from a Vauxhall Combi after smashing a window to enter the van while it was parked and unattended outside the Manor House Hotel, High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh.

Stolen was a woman's £25 black shoulder bag containing a £20-black wallet holding two pairs of women's spectacles with a total value of £250, £25-cash, credit cards and a photo-type driving licence.