IT does not need much to plunge Britain into a crisis an unexpected fall of snow or a fuel dispute for instance so the combined effects of a month's worth of rain in 48 hours and 90mph winds were a sure recipe for disaster this week.

But the extent of the disaster in a county not unused to rain and high winds has taken everyone by surprise and left many residents, especially those in Malmesbury, angry about the lack of early warning.

The Environment Agency, whose job it is to act as the alarm system for sudden rises in river levels and threats of flooding, didn't send out a flood warning in Malmesbury until 7.30am on Monday morning 90 minutes after water began seeping into homes.

The cost of the delay is probably incalculable but many businesses and householders in the town were caught on the hop and were left with damaged stock because they had no time to prepare.

Luckily stock can be replaced but the speed of the flooding and the lack of preparation could have led to tragedy.

The agency must now carry out an inquiry into its warning procedure to see what can be done to ensure warnings are given earlier.

Wiltshire County Council deserves praise for the speedy way it acted to tackle the crisis, as do the emergency services and workers from Southern Electric, whose tireless efforts kept many people's homes dry and ensured they had heat and light.

But the county must also look again at where the flooding struck, particularly under the bridge at Corston where the flooding effectively sealed off the major route into Malmesbury.

There have also been concerns over a lack of sandbags to help quell the floods in areas where flooding was a danger, again in Malmesbury in particular.

The question must be asked, does it really take a massive leap of imagination to anticipate high rainfall in November and, consequently, flooding?

We think not. The county council's emergency planning team should conduct a full review of the events leading up to the floods and present a blueprint for better preparation.