ANGRY residents say the Environment Agency failed to warn them in time about flash floods which swept through low-lying areas in Malmesbury on Monday October 30 causing thousands of pounds of damage.

And homeowners have blasted Wiltshire County Council and North Wiltshire District Council for failing to provide more sandbags which they say could have prevented some of the damage.

Heavy rains caused the River Avon to burst its banks early on Monday morning, and three to four feet of muddy water poured into about 12 houses in St Johns Street and Baskerville Lane.

Access to the town was severely restricted for two days after police sealed off the Kingway bridge near Corston because of deep pools of water on the A429.

Flooding also occurred at the bottom of Holloway Hill, hitting businesses at the Park Road Industrial Estate. At the Flying Monk Football Ground the premises of Malmesbury Victoria Football Club, the Athelstan Players Drama Group and Malmesbury Boxing Club were awash.

Malmesbury Upper School was forced to close on Tuesday after flooding in the boiler room disrupted the heating.

The Environment Agency issued a general flood warning for the River Avon at 4.34am on Monday. An emergency flood warning for Malmesbury was issued at 7.50am.

But flood victims say the river was threatening to burst its banks at about 4am. Water began seeping under the doors of houses in St Johns Street at 5.40am and homes were completely flooded by 6am.

David Hendry, the owner of David Hendry Specialist Cars in the Park Road Industrial Estate, said: "The emergency warning should have come by 2am."

He said agency officers had driven through the town later in the day warning residents about flooding. He added: "What a joke. It had all happened by then."

St Johns Street resident Pat Ponting said she and her husband Brian had only managed to move some of their more valuable items upstairs because their son had phoned after spotting the river rising dangerously on his way to work at 5.30am.

Athelstan Players member Rachel Elkins said the unexpected flood waters at the football ground could have ruined much of the group's hand-made scenery.

She said: "I'm angry because we had no warning and no sandbags. We pay our taxes and absolutely nothing got done."

Environment Agency spokesman Ben Woodhouse said the agency would investigate the residents' complaints and would, if necessary, adjust the criteria for issuing flood warnings in the Malmesbury area.

But he said residents were warned in advance last Saturday when the agency issued a flood watch at 11.30pm. He added: "A flood watch means be prepared and watch the weather and rivers."

Residents also complained there was not a supply of sandbags on standby. Sandbags are stored by the district council and distributed according to Wiltshire County Council emergency planning instructions.

A district council spokesman said officers had started preparing sandbags at 1am on Monday morning, and had delivered them to Holloway Hill as instructed by county hall.

Asked why bags had not been delivered to St Johns Street and Park Road early on Monday, a county official said numbers of sandbags across the district were limited, and were only allocated to the areas of highest risk. District and county councillor for the region, Lesley Bennet said she was trying and arrange a supply by today, when more heavy rains are predicted.

Mayor Catherine Doody said she would be talking to trusts and charities about financial help for uninsured flood victims.

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