A VILLAGE brought to a standstill by last winter's floods could be saved from future disruption by a simple flood defence system, the parish chairman claims.

Agricultural engineer Hugh Hanmer has drawn up a scheme for a flood embankment close to Severn Stoke, which would save it from floods as severe as last winter's.

Village life was disrupted for six months, with the church, pub and village hall out of action following floods in November and December.

The River Severn had poured over the top of the main flood bund, which protects agricultural land to the west of Severn Stoke, inundating the low-lying centre of the village and affecting 27 homes.

Many people could only get to their houses by boat and, to make matters worse, the sewerage system failed, allowing raw sewage to contaminate two houses and the gardens of six others.

"This tightly knit-community was totally disrupted, with a loss of community life," said Mr Hanmer.

"There was three feet of water in the pub, which was closed until Easter with a dramatic loss of business. The village hall was out of commission for months and the church still hasn't got a carpet because moisture is coming out of the floor."

As chairman of Severn Stoke and Croome D'Abitot Parish Council, he began lobbying in January for action to help parishioners, including those in Sandford, where six homes were flooded and Clifton.

Action has been taken to reinstate the collapsed culvert that caused Sandford's problems and consideration given to renewing the Clifton defences.

But Severn Stoke has been neglected by both the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water, he says.

Mr Hanmer gave a scale drawing of his proposal for a Severn Stoke flood barrier to the Environment Agency in February.

"The embankment along the river is 12.5m above sea level and the middle of the village is 11m, so it only takes a trickle over the embankment to give us 1.5 metres of water," he said.

"We need a secondary line of defence close to the village, to protect the heart of the community."

Ian Burtenshaw, of Severn Trent's Worcestershire sewerage operations department, said the Severn Stoke pumping station had been under water when it failed.

"If the Severn overflows the flood defences we're going to get flooded as well and there is nothing we can do about it at that stage," he said.

An Environment Agency spokes-man said the Severn Stoke defence scheme was "in the pipeline" to be considered for a feasibility study, but no firm date had been set for it.