EMERGENCY planners were in talks to re-open Worcester Bridge today after river levels began to fall overnight.

Worcestershire County Council spokesman Gus Swanson said the Territorial Army was planning to scrap its shuttle service at lunchtime to make way for the city centre bridge opening.

"Flood levels have been dropping and we're hoping to get back to normal," he said. "But there's a possibility it will be one-way traffic to start with."

Worcester City Council Principal Engineer Andy Walford said the service, which was being paid for by the council, would continue to run four trucks at peak times and two trucks at other times.

"The water's still at least a foot deep in places and could still be dangerous to cross by foot," he said, "especially since drunken activity last night has resulted in broken glass in the water."

Meanwhile, raw sewage will today be pumped directly into the Severn in a bid to solve Waverley Street's flooding problems.

Severn Trent has - for the first time - been given permission by the Environment Agency to take sewage out of the system before it reaches the overflow pipe and run it directly into the swollen river.

But residents dismissed the move as an attempt to "pacify us with this latest pledge"according to Mary Dhonau, who was today due to confront Severn Trent's Ian Birtenshaw at a lunchtime.