SANDLESS sandbags saved the day when fuel leaked out of a bus.

The bus hit a speed bump on a road in Bewdley, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, leaving diesel pumping out which could have caused an environmental disaster.

But quick-thinking residents Jo Bloom and Jackie Presley quickly sorted the problem with FloodSax sandless sandbags … and incontinence pads.

Both soaked up the diesel to stop it from getting down the drains.

The ladies are both members of Bewdley Flood Group and so have the FloodSax ready in case torrential rain and flash floods are forecast. They are more effective than traditional sandbags in keeping water out of homes and businesses.  They can also soak up leaks and spills in hard to reach places.

Jo said: “The diesel was flowing straight into the drains and this then goes into the water course. We have a whole host of species such as voles and carp in our waters near to where this leak happened and the devastation this would have caused would have been catastrophic.”

FloodSax managing director Richard Bailey said: “Well done to the ladies for their fast reactions. Both the FloodSax and incontinence pads work on similar principles in terms of their ability to soak up spills and we’ve had several incidents before where FloodSax have been used at road accidents to stop fuel getting into drains.”

* Many homes and businesses now have a pack of FloodSax sandless sandbags so they are ready for any flooding emergency. They are space-saving to store but can be transformed into sandbags within minutes simply by adding water. 

Around two million have now been sold worldwide.