Clear-up stems the tide

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Sept 20, 2008

WORK by the Environment Agency to clear river blockages has helped prevent a major village flood.

Following high river levels and flooding the Agency has been clearing waterways of debris including Baildon Dyke, Skelmanthorpe.

But say Skelmanthorpe Action Group, residents near the dyke have been forced to spend pounds 22,000 on their own flood barriers.

The area has been blighted by flooding - most recently three weeks ago.

Agency operations manager Frank de Planta said: "Rivers in flood can carry huge amounts of debris downstream, and when this gets lodged against bridges or other obstructions then it can cause more flooding problems."

Christopher Ward, of the residents' group, said: "To be fair if the Environment Agency hadn't cleared it the flooding would have been worse. But the same can be said if residents hadn't had to spend pounds 22,000 on flood walls."

River blockages can be reported to the EA Incident Hotline on 0800 807060. The public should not attempt to clear blockages themselves.