'Urgent repairs' needed after Jedburgh flood defence damage

Flood defences in the area were damaged during Storm Ciara

Urgent repairs are being carried out to flood defences in a Borders town after they were damaged during Storm Ciara.

It is thought the problems on the Jed Water at Richmond Row in Jedburgh were caused by large debris striking the riverbank due to high water levels.

Scottish Borders Council is carrying out the repairs ahead of further heavy rainfall expected this weekend.

It said plans were in place to evacuate 12 properties in the area should remedial work be unsuccessful.

The Borders was badly affected by flooding over the weekend with one bed and breakfast in Hawick partially washed away.

The local authority said a failure of the defence wall in Jedburgh would result in a "high risk" of the nearby homes being "severely flooded".

The council said it was working closely with Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA) which owns the majority of the properties in the area.

Chief executive Tracey Logan said: "While we are attempting to repair the damage to the flood defence we have to acknowledge the risk that further heavy rainfall and snow melt poses.

"We have put in place a structured decision-making process to ensure that any evacuation of Richmond Row can be carried out promptly and in an organised manner if it becomes necessary.

"We are continuing to monitor the weather forecast closely and remain in regular contact with our colleagues at the Met Office and Scottish Environment Protection Agency."

Julia Mulloy, chief executive of SBHA, said the safety of residents was their "ultimate priority".

"Given the damage to the flood defence and the fact there are further yellow warnings in place for rain we have made our residents aware of the risks and are now putting in place robust plans for an evacuation, should it be required," she said.

"We are very grateful to our partners at SBC for forewarning us of this risk and we will continue to work with the council closely over the coming days."