Eyewitness tells how flood hero cop died

AN ex-rugby league ace last night told how he was the last man to see PC Bill Barker alive as the floods hero tried to save motorists from a collapsing Cumbrian bridge.

Brendan Pickering dialled 999 when he saw the structure crumbling and himself turned away a car and two lorries in the dark before police including the tragic cop arrived.

"I saw the poor policeman who died come up on the other side with his lights flashing," said Brendan, 47, who used to play for local team Workington.

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"I saw the bridge was moving, pitching and bucking because of the pressure from the river. A section went and it must have set up a domino effect because the whole structure went. It was an awful tragedy."

Last night more eye-witnesses began to give their dramatic stories of the Northside Bridge collapse which swept PC Barker out to the Irish sea. The body of the dad-of-four - who would have celebrated his 45th birthday yesterday - was found on a beach 15 miles away.

Grieving townsfolk left flowers close to the scene. One said: "The bridge just looks like it has been bombed - there is nothing left." The wreckage was sealed off yesterday. Twisted pieces of steel are all that remain. Rubble from the structure lay in mounds on the river bed as the fast-flowing water crashed over it.

More than a dozen other potentially dangerous bridges in the county were closed.

And as the floods slowly began to subside, the full-scale of the terrifying damage in the towns of Cockermouth and Workington - in which two months of rain fell in a single day - was revealed. More than 1,400 houses have been abandoned across the county. Survivors spoke of a "Dunkirk spirit" among the hardy Cumbrian people as victims whose homes were swamped found shelter with relatives and even strangers.

But the death of PC Barker remains the symbol of the aftermath of England's wettest day on record.

Mr Pickering told how he had been walking his dogs past the bridge over the River Derwent at 4.40am on Friday when he heard strange noises.

He said: "I heard this whooshing noise so I went up on to the bridge. It seemed part of it was missing.

HORRIFIED - Brendan last to see PC

"There was a car coming on so I stopped him. I phoned 999. I heard the first section break as a policewoman and a male colleague arrived. She shouted at us to get off."

Later she told him PC Barker on the other side had gone into the water. "She was obviously very upset but she never left that bridge. That took some guts."

David Hoare, a Stagecoach bus route inspector, told how he saw the bridge collapse minutes after arriving at the scene with colleague Kevin Sheehan. The 63-year-old said: "We stopped right in the middle of the bridge. There was a car parked there. The driver said , 'The bridge has gone'. You could see a crescent-shaped crack up the wall and along the road. The bridge wall and pavement had gone.

"Some of the road was missing too. I ran towards a bus coming towards the bridge to stop it. There was a lorry and tanker too.

"Then I guided Kevin in the van off the bridge. Suddenly it collapsed. I was only 10 yards away when it went. I feel very, very fortunate."

In Workington many of those driven from their homes stayed in hotels as the flood waters rose.

Jonas Enberg, 35, said: "We just took the decision ourselves to get out and we did it just in time. The torrents were very strong and I was just hoping I didn't get swept away. We have lost everything."

In hard-hit Cockermouth Jean Gibson, 78, took in her son and his family after their home was destroyed by five foot high waters.

TRIBUTE - Shrine to PC Barker

"I lived through the Second World War - like then everyone is doing all they can to help each other," she said.

Chris Frain, 37, who lives by the River Cocker with wife Rachel, 35, said: "The water just came gushing through the house, the furniture has been tipped all over the place. Everyone has been helping out."

George Jackson, 60, had to be rescued by an RAF helicopter. When the river burst its banks in the early hours, water gushed up through his toilet and sinks, then seeped up through the carpets.

"I was shouting 'Help! Help! Help!' A chap came up from the mountain rescue and put me on a dinghy," said George. "We went to the vets clinic nearby, and they winched us up in a helicopter."

Stunned Cockermouth residents were shocked by the stench from the sludge covering the pavements, gardens and walls. Furniture was piled into the streets as people tried to clear their homes.

DEVASTATION - Flood damage

Disabled Anne Burn, 77, had to leave all her possessions behind when she was evacuated. She said: "I'm left with nowt - I didn't have time to get anything out. But I've been overwhelmed with kindness."

Phil Rothwell, from the Environment Agency, said more than 1,400 properties across the county were flooded. Cockermouth was the worst affected with 600 homes wrecked by the rising waters.

He said water levels were expected to fall over the weekend despite further rainfall.

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• Shock and oars

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