PUPILS and staff at a Worcester school should be able to ditch the wellies when flood alleviation works are finished.

The pedestrian gate to Cherry Orchard Primary School, Timberdine Close, floods during heavy rainfall, forcing staff, pupils and parents to walk around the busy A38 Bath Road to gain access.

At this week's St Peter's Parish Council meeting, Worcester city councillor and parish councillor Roger Knight said Worcestershire County Council was planning to carry out work at the site to rectify the problem.

He said that if necessary this would be in two stages. Stage one, to be carried out at the beginning of the summer, would involve drainage work.

If this was not successful, further works would be carried out.

Following the meeting he said: "This is really good news because it will remove the need for those walking to school to have to divert during periods of heavy rainfall and walk along the A38 Bath Road which as we all know is a very busy road and not ideal with children in mind.

"I look forward to the completion of this work as no doubt will many parents."

Headteacher Jeremy Harwood said he was relieved the work would finally be done.

He said: "It's been getting worse over the years. It's got to the stage where, on some days after heavy rain, they are having to wade through ankle-deep water.

"Previously we've been able to sweep it away or dig little ditches and try to get it to drain away into Duck Brook, but it's become quite clear that water in a half-mile radius seems to drain to this point."