FLOODING: Last barriers go as water level subsides (From thisisoxfordshire)

FLOODING: Last barriers go as water level subsides

10:00am Wednesday 9th January 2013 in News

OXFORD’S last temporary flood defences were taken down yesterday as weather and water levels across the county showed signs of improvement.

Environment Agency officers were at Hinksey Lake in South Oxford early yesterday morning taking down the barriers.

Barry Russell, the Environment Agency’s local operations manager for flood risk reduction, said: “We wouldn’t have taken them down if we weren’t confident the barriers wouldn’t be needed.

“Water levels are returning to normal and we had one eye on the forecasts which are for dry weather.”

There are currently no rivers in Oxfordshire on flood warning, which means flooding is expected, but three rivers in the county are on flood alert which means flooding is possible.

Met Office forecasts indicate today will be a cloudy but dry day.

• The aftermath of the flooding was still being felt by teachers at a special school in Standlake, near Witney.

Toilet facilities were closed and water switched off at the Mulberry Bush Special School, to avoid waste water backing up the sewer system.

Its 92 members of staff went back to work on Monday in readiness for children’s return today. Headteacher Andy Lole said: “We were very disappointed that we couldn’t start work on Monday because we had no water and the toilets didn’t work. However, our dedicated staff came to work yesterday to prepare for the beginning of term.”