Man held after boys die in car

A man was being questioned after two 13-year-old boys died when they were trapped in a car which plunged into a river, police said today.

The tragedy happened near Sydney Avenue, in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, just after midnight.

Emergency services called to the scene found the car submerged and a man in his 30s, from the Shrewsbury area, who had managed to escape and raise the alarm.

A West Mercia Police spokesman said crews from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service managed to reach the vehicle from the water but found the boys inside.

"An investigation into this tragic incident has now commenced and one man in his 30s, from the Shrewsbury area, is in custody helping the police with their inquiries," he added.

The two teenagers who died are from the Shrewsbury area.

Sydney Avenue lies in the Castlefields area of the picturesque market town and borders the River Severn for about a quarter of a mile.

The road is separated from the river by a grass embankment. It was not yet known at what point and how the car entered the water.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service sent three appliances to the scene, including the Shrewsbury-based boat launch for water incidents and a winch to help in the salvage process.

Two crews from Shropshire Ambulance Service were deployed and took the boys to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

An ambulance service spokeswoman was unable to say what treatment was given to the teenagers or the adult.

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