'Sea level rising around estuary'

Professor Haslett has conducted research at Oldbury-on-Severn

Sea water around the Severn Estuary has risen by 2.5mm per year since 1950 according to a geological expert.

Research conducted by Professor Simon Haslett has found the rise was in line with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions.

He also found that salt marshes which act as a major natural coastal defence by dampening wave energy were drowning.

This could potentially lead to the sea defences being breached, leaving the low-lying areas flooded, he said.

Professor Haslett, head of geography at Bath Spa University, also said the salt marshes around the estuary were eroding significantly at their shoreline.

This was a "double-whammy" as shoreline retreat and marsh submergence was increasing the vulnerability of the coastal lowlands of the Severn Estuary, he said.

His research was published in the Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science journal.