AN expert river engineer believes authorities tackling floods lack the know-how to deal with the crisis.

Mark Holtham says dredging and repairing weirs would alleviate flooding, but have not been carried out.

He claims that the River Severn is a hot potato for which no one wants to take responsibility because of the costs it incurs.

The 46-year-old has spent his working life as a maintenance engineer on the Severn and canals.

"Over the years, I've watched with dismay because the situation has gone from bad to worse," said Mr Holtham.

"They don't see the rivers as something which need to be sorted out, and it's mainly down to money. There's an attitude that the floods are down to Mother Nature and that's it."

Mr Holtham, whose home in Worcester's Diglis Avenue has suffered from the latest flooding, said organisations like the Environment Agency and British Waterways lacked experts with a water engineering background.

"The Environment Agency have brought in a lot of academics who don't really know what they're talking about.

"A lot of the problems are down to money and a simple lack of investment. No one wants to invest in the rivers because they are not a money-maker."

He said city council engineers and British Waterways were wrong to discount dredging because it could alleviate flooding and produce recyclable material like sand and organic matter.

Rebuilding weirs to help control the water flow during winter highs and summer lows would also help, he said.

"It would be better for these people to say 'we don't have a clue' and appoint someone with a background in hydro-engineering. It is a non-definable science and there are so many