Major incident declared as 50-metre-long breach opens up and discharges water on to surrounding land

Ten people have been helped to safety after a sinkhole opened up in a Shropshire canal, pulling in boats and discharging large volumes of water on to surrounding land.

Emergency services declared a major incident after the 50-metre-long sinkhole breached the canal in the West Midlands, leaving boats teetering on the edge of a steep drop or stuck at the bottom of the cavity.