A DELIVERY driver had a dramatic escape on Monday evening as he was pulled from his van as it was swept away in a river torrent near Wareham.

The driver for the Tesco home delivery service at Tower Park was helped to safety after he attempted to cross a rising ford at East Holme at 7.30pm.

With the water level approaching the five foot mark following heavy rain, the van was quickly overwhelmed by the torrent, spun around and only saved from being washed further downstream by a foot bridge.

Earlier, a series of vehicles, including a police car and an ambulance, became stranded in a flooded road near Sturminster Newton.

The string of misfortune began to unfold when a red Vauxhall Corsa became stuck in the rising water between Mappowder and Stoke Wake at 5.15pm.

A Vauxhall Astra was also left trapped by the flood and in attempting to rescue the drivers and passengers of the vehicles, a police car entered the deep water but its engine cut out.

The same fate befell an ambulance and a local farmer was fortunately available to drag out the emergency vehicles.