AN action plan to safeguard Worcestershire from floods was due to be posted to the Prime Minister today.

County councillors had intended to take the document in person to Tony Blair, but called off a visit to 10 Downing Street because of the chaos affecting rail services.

The Government has set aside £51m for flood defence across Britain, which will be shared between councils, the Environment Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF).

Worcestershire County Council was told to compile a 10-point plan before bidding for funds.

But the authority has since drafted several pages of suggestions. Some of the recommendations will be sent to the Government, while others are destined for the Environment Agency and MAFF.

The points include:

* Identifying who is responsible for keeping rivers free of contamination and then imposing enforcement measures to protect residents from sewage.

* Raising roads prone to flooding - such as Worcester's Hylton Road and New Road as well as Bransford Bridge.

* Dredging of the River Severn.

* Co-ordination between the Government and insurance companies to ensure householders affected by flooding do not lose their insurance cover.

* Diverting water in Wales as the Severn rises.

"We want to meet the Prime Minister or a representative in the new year to explain the issues in Worcestershire more fully," John Williams, the county council's senior policy officer, said today.

"A conference would be held in March or April to assess the progress made, with Tony Blair and John Prescott invited.

"Severn Trent, MAFF, the emergency services and district councils would be asked to send representatives.

"Our action plan was going to be taken to London today by a delegation, but that's not feasible because of the continuing problems on the railways. Instead, the document is likely to go by registered post."

Worcestershire County Council's consultation with the public included holding meetings and pinning up a poster, 10 ft wide, at County Hall for visitors to add their comments.