Police have this afternoon identified the victim as Jennifer McClaughlan, of Harvey Close, Bourne.

A passing motorist spotted the 28-year-old woman's overturned grey Peugeot 406 in Counter Drain Drove, Tongue End, near Spalding, at 9am on Saturday, and called the emergency services.

Fire crews from Spalding and Bourne and a rapid response water rescue vehicle from Boston arrived at the scene shortly after the call, and winched the car and the woman's body from the water using an animal sling.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Fire Service said: "When we arrived at the scene, we secured the vehicle with a winch cable.

"The car was almost fully submerged by this stage, so it made the operation difficult, and we had to call the Swift Response Team from Boston.

"Once the car was out of the water, we were able to bring the casualty out through the doors."

Ms McCloughlan was thought to the only person involved in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police believe the accident occuurred at about 4am.

They are currently trying to find out why the woman lost control of the car and became submerged in 6ft of water.

Tongue End is one of the most remote villages in the Fens, and sees only a few passing cars drive by the few houses every day.

The woman has become the 65th person to die on Lincolnshire roads this year – nine more than this time in 2006.

Lincolnshire county councillor Stephen Williams, who represents the Spalding Elloe ward which includes Tongue End, today said he was angry about the number of lives lost on the county's roads.

He said: "I get really uptight about the loss of life.

"A lot of Lincolnshire roads are dangerous because they are long. straight country roads where speed can be built up, followed by sharp corners.

"If there were speed cameras on some sections of the road, then drivers would slow down and the accident rate would be reduced."

Tongue End has seen similar accidents before, as cars come off the country roads and plunge into the surrounding ditches.

In January this year, a 15-year-old boy almost drowned after a crash in the North Drove Drain.

George Bellars was saved by his mother, Jo, after being trapped in a water-filled ditch – near the scene of Saturday's accident – for 15 minutes.

nAnyone who saw the Peugeot near Counter Drain Drove on Saturday morning should call Lincolnshire police on 01522 558855.

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