Fears of 'another Tewkesbury' at Warton

WARTON will be "another Tewkesbury" waiting to happen, unless a long-term solution is found to the severe flooding which has affected villagers for the past decade.

That's the claim by Warton resident Mike Cooper, whose street and garden were still submerged under two feet of water almost a week after the heavy rain two weekends ago caused the worst floods in our district in 25 years.

Mike, of Gardner Road, has now called on the Environment Agency and Lancaster City Council to find a solution to the Warton floods, which have gradually become worse and more frequent in the village over the past 10 years.

"This wasn't a disaster – but had it rained for another day it could have been like Tewkesbury," he said, referring to the Gloucestershire town where three people died and hundreds were left homeless in floods last summer.

"The houses weren't quite flooded, but the water was very close to coming in. It hasn't rained for a week now so the levels are going down. We've got pumps working to pump the water out into the river."

Mike said many villagers have been badly affected by the floods: "There's a dairy farmer whose cattle have been up to their knees in water in their sheds," he said. It has dramatically affected his farming. He is devastated about the whole thing."