RESIDENTS are being told be on their guard as a surge of floodwater reaches Worcestershire over the next few days.

After a weekend of heavy rain over the mountains in Wales, water is heading down the river Severn and it was expected to peak in Bewdley in the early hours of tomorrow.

The Environment Agency issued a Severe Flood Warning for the town yesterday.

However, an agency spokesman said river levels in Worcester and Upton-upon-Severn should remain steady today before peaking tomorrow or Thursday.

He said: "At Diglis, Worcester, the water is going up and we expect that to hit its peak on Wednesday.

"It will rise as the water flows through from the Welsh mountains but we don't know if that's going to be significant until probably later on today. The river level at Diglis is currently at 4.14 metres but the forecast is quite broad at the moment.

"We are looking at somewhere between 4.4 metres to 4.8 metres but that depends on how much water travels down and if we get any more rain.

"Upton is currently at 4.77 metres rising to a peak on Wednesday or Thursday. It could be 4.8 metres or 5.2 metres." Meanwhile, Upton could get a new permanent flood defence scheme for parts of the town.

The New Street Flood Forum has urged people to attend a workshop on exercise on the idea of building a permanent flood defence for New Street and the riverside at the town's Memorial Hall between 2pm and 6pm on Thursday, January 31.