A STRATEGIC stock of sandbags and a flooding warden to co-ordinate relief is needed in every town and village in the Cotswolds, according to MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.

Six months after the disastrous flooding of this summer, comprehensive plans to deal were flooding are still not firmly in place.

The Cotswolds covers a large geographical area and it is not possible to put measures in place to ensure that no home will ever flood and Mr Clifton-Brown is satisfied that since the July floods a great deal of work has been done with regard to the highways and gully clearing.

Mr Clifton-Brown said: "We have had a wake up call this weekend and I am now calling on all the authorities, in particular the Parish and Town Councils to ensure that robust plans are in place to counter the worst effects of flooding should it occur again in the future."

Cllr Julie Girling, Lead Cabinet Member for Environment and Flood Recovery at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Since the summer's flooding, the County Council has been working with parish and town councils to help them play their part in an emergency, for example by taking responsibility for sandbags.

"Everyone, from councils to individual residents need to make sure they are properly prepared for future flooding."