DREDGING rivers would not help to alleviate flooding problems, according to the Environment Agency.

"Silt would just be moved elsewhere and dredging can cause environmental problems for fish and wildlife," said agency spokesman Martin Watkins. "It's not a solution and would be quite expensive."

More extensive dredging could affect the breeding cycles of fish and angling groups were likely to be unhappy at such a move, he said.

With water pouring off fields and private land onto the public highways, landowners were reminded by the agency of their responsibilities.

"With ownership comes responsibility. If problems are being caused that would exacerbate flooding we can step in and do it but we would have to charge them," said Mr Watkins.

But Caroline Beddell, regional director of the Country Land and Business Association, said that very little could be done to stop rainwater flowing over fields and on to roads.

"With extreme weather conditions like this it is nobody's responsibility or fault.

"There is very little you can do when you have a field on a slope and the ground has no more capacity to take water - it just goes where it runs."

The floods have also caused severe problems for farmers, who face difficult harvesting conditions.

"Farmers are losing crops and I dread to think what will happen after this," she said. "There are going to be businesses that are financially stretched and some crops ready to be harvested are under water."

The Environment Agency said there had been no plans to open reservoirs in Wales, contrary to rumours which had been circulating in the county.

"The situation in the Midlands region has been unprecedented and all the water that fell in Wales on Friday and Saturday took two days to get to Hereford and three days to reach south Herefordshire."