A WARNING has been issued to motorists who attempt to drive through flooded roads after two teenagers had to be rescued from their car by firefighters using an inflatable boat.

Crews were called to the ford at Mill Lane, Dedham, on Wednesday evening after an 18-year-old driver and his passenger became stranded in high water.

A spokesman for the fire service said that four teenagers had been driving around in a Vauxhall Astra.

At about 7.30pm two of the passengers got out of the car leaving the driver and one other passenger to attempt the ford crossing.

A neighbour who witnessed the rescue said: “There’s no need to drive through the ford, but you do get youngsters around here who like to drive it for a bit of a laugh and spray some water.

“Unfortunately, because it was so dark I don’t think they could tell how deep the water was, or how fast it was moving, and the car got stuck.

“One of the lads managed to get on to an island and then couldn’t get off and the other made it up on to the car roof and back on to land over a nearby wall.

“The firefighters had to rescue the lad who was trapped on the island by first throwing him a line to keep him secure and then using a boat to reach him.”

Crews from Manningtree, Colchester and the Leigh water rescue team attended the incident and had completed their rescue by 8.30pm.

The ambulance service also attended to treat a man who was suffering from the cold.