A £3 million flood defence scheme has been completed in Teesside.

The Environment Agency (EA) delivered the Port Clarence flood alleviation scheme in partnership with Wilton Engineering.

A removable section of defence was manufactured by Wilton to protect its own work site and the local community from flooding, while still allowing space to operate from the River Tees.

This section joins with a concrete flood wall which runs along the rest of the front of the company's site.

Almost 1.5km of new defences was built, with 132 precast concrete units used weighing nearly six tonnes each.

Other features include 47 bespoke removable sections of steel defence and new flood embankments to the east and west of Wilton.

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A 35 metre section of road on the approach to the Transporter Bridge has also been raised by around half a metre.

Construction of the site started in March 2015 and was completed in December.

Overall, the scheme has reduced the risk of flooding to 250 homes and 32 businesses.

The EA's Operations Manager for the North East, Alan Cadas, said: "This has been a really innovative collaboration between ourselves and Wilton Engineering – seeing us work together with industry to protect the local area.

"The removable defence means homes and businesses in Port Clarence are protected from flooding, but they also ensure Wilton can still operate its business from the river when required.

"The scheme has also seen a mixture of embankments, flood walls and ground raising along the River Tees to reduce the risk of flooding."

Wilton Engineering Chief Executive Bill Scott added: "Wilton Engineering was very keen to work in partnership with the Environment Agency from day one to ensure that the scheme could go ahead utilising collaboration to great effect.

"Indeed we will continue to work with the Environment Agency to ensure the flood defence scheme is maintained and therefore robust for many years."

(LM/MH)