Lowdham flood defence wall being upgraded from plastic to steel

The Environment Agency is managing water levels while the work takes place

Work to replace a damaged flood wall in a Nottinghamshire village is under way.

The Environment Agency is installing a new steel defence along a 200m (656ft) stretch of the Cocker Beck in Lowdham in place of the existing plastic wall.

It forms part of a designated flood storage area on the village green, aimed at protecting nearby homes.

The agency said the existing wall had deteriorated over the past 20 years but the new defence, due to be completed by January, would be more robust.

'Real challenge'

Lowdham, which has a population of about 3,000 people, has flooded on numerous occasions due to the high water levels on the Cocker Beck, a tributary of the River Trent.

East Midlands operations manager Alan Walters said: "As well as reducing flood risk now, the work will help reduce the impacts of climate change as more extreme rainfall is predicted.

"It has been a real challenge to get this project to site and we thank the community for their continued patience."