Upton-upon-Severn flood defences unveiled

Flood defences in a Worcestershire town are to be officially unveiled later.

The second and final phase of a £4.5m flood alleviation scheme in Upton-upon-Severn has been completed in Waterside and features a permanent flood wall.

An earth embankment, flood wall and floodgates across New Street were introduced in phase one last year.

The Environment Agency (EA) said the new defences in Waterside would defend 64 properties with a "one in 150 chance of flooding in any given year".

According to the EA, the town has flooded at least six times in the last 11 years and a total of 78 times since 1970 - the most notable being in July 2007 when 28 properties were affected.

The MP for West Worcestershire, Harriett Baldwin, will be among those at a ceremony that gets under way at 18:15 BST.

Ms Baldwin said: "For centuries, the people and businesses of Upton have lived with the threat of repeated flooding.

"The town has flooded over 70 times in the last 40 years and has had the reputation of being the most flooded town in Britain.

"The Environment Agency team has worked tirelessly on this scheme and we can all see what a tremendous job they have done."