KEMPSEY Parish Council is to press the Environment Agency to take overflowing drains into account in assessing Kempsey's need for a flood alleviation scheme.

In discussing the last flood meeting in the village, Rebecca Wynn said she felt the Environment Agency had "pushed St Mary's Close out of the equation".

Problems caused by sewage overflowing from flooded drains had been dismissed as a matter for Severn Trent, when they were a direct result of the flood.

"It only happened because of the fact that the river flooded. The water had to go somewhere, so it came back up the drain," she said.

Chairman Joy Clee agreed that the Agency should be asked to bear this in mind when calculating the cost-benefits of a flood alleviation scheme.

"It was a quite remarkable meeting, in that our MP, Sir Michael Spicer, both district councillors and county councillor attended with about 50 people.

"Many questions were asked and answered and our MP went back to Whitehall to ask them to change the criteria," she said.

Pete Copson said he believed the government had set the criteria in such a way that no-one could be eligible for the flood relief money promised by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, when he visited Upton-upon-Severn during the 1999 flood.

"I have been assured that all the money promised has been spent, but it can't have been enough, because no-one seems to have seen any of it," said vice chairman Ray Ellis.