A £50,000 programme of work to repair flood defences in Herefordshire has been completed ahead of the winter months.

The Environment Agency has carried out the work at Hampton Bishop and Mordiford, where flood banks were damaged by high tides and river levels earlier this year.

Both villages were badly affected by several days of severe flooding throughout the county earlier this year but with work having been completed during the summer months, the agency hopes defences will be prepared for any forthcoming floods or high tides.

Phil Foxley, a spokesman for the Environment Agency, said: “This programme of maintenance and repair work is extremely important as it means our flood defences can continue to reduce the risk of flooding to the communities that they protect in Herefordshire.

"The recovery work is in addition to our annual routine maintenance and inspection programme.”

Flood embankments along the River Wye and the River Lugg in the Hampton Bishop area were saturated for days during the high river levels.

It led to damage in the crest of the flood embankment on the River Lugg while the saturated ground caused leakage through the embankment in the location of an old drain along the River Wye.

But works have been carried out to repair 150 metres of the damaged embankment crest and the field drain has been replaced.

A new outfall has been installed to allow surface water to escape from the land into the river but will also prevent water from flowing the other way during flood conditions.

In Mordiford, the Environment Agency has repaired the flood embankment next to the village bridge, installed a clay core and replaced two sections of leaking service pipe, along with new access manholes.

This will reduce seepage through the embankment and provide better flood protection for nearby properties.