Stroud District Council is working with parish and town councils to introduce a scheme of watercourse wardens to help prevent flooding.

The plans are thought to be the first of their kind. They involve working closely with communities to prevent flooding, literally at ground level, rather than dealing with its consequences.

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Councillor Elisabeth Bird, Stroud District Council's cabinet member for environment and rural affairs, said: "This pro-active measure has the potential to make a huge impact. Working closely with communities to head off problems before they arise has to be one of the best ways to mitigate against flooding."

Watercourse wardens would be members of the public who would keep an eye on watercourses in their locality.

Stroud District has hundreds of kilometres of waterways, with responsibility split between the Environment Agency, the Lower Severn Internal Drainage Board, Stroud District Council and individual landowners.

(CD/JM)