Emergency store for flood towns

Flood wardens will co-ordinate the relief efforts

Flood-risk villages in Nottinghamshire are to get extra protection with specialist emergency equipment.

Fifteen metal containers, filled with sandbags, high visibility jackets and other equipment, are being installed.

The stores are designed to allow villages to react quickly to flooding threats and encourage householders to take precautions of their own.

Cash for the scheme has come from the government and has been channelled through the district councils.

The first store has just been installed in Lowdham, which saw 150 homes evacuated last summer.

Community help

The idea is for the village flood wardens to use the equipment to help the community.

David Harper from Lowdham Parish Council said: "They will come and collect yellow jackets, wellingtons, torches, etc.

"They will go out into the community, they will hopefully aid the emergency services to get the aid to the areas that need it."

Mark Henry from Newark and Sherwood District Council said sandbags would be handed out now.

"We are going to dish these out to anyone who actually suffered flooding inside their property, as a gesture towards them making changes in their own property.

"If they get 25 sacks from us they will also get a letter saying please look at putting in flood defences around your property.

"Do some sort of preparation of your own to make sure that if this happens again you don't suffer the terrible damage that affected some homes last summer," Mr Henry said.

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Lowdham was badly hit by last summer's floods