HEAVY rain left Malmesbury "on the edge" of widescale flooding as Storm Imogen battered the area.

Water levels on the River Avon were in a critical state on Sunday and Monday, prompting flood wardens to advise residents to prepare for the worst.

Although no homes were flooded, Malmesbury Vics' football ground was left under water and there was storm damage across north Wiltshire.

Malmesbury Town Council member and flood warden Cllr Sue Poole said on Sunday: “We are very much on the edge and people need to be aware the river is very high and fast flowing.

“If you are in a flood risk property, you may like to take precautions now.”
Town mayor Cllr John Gundry said wardens came close to telling residents to vacate their homes.

Cllr Gundry said: “We were monitoring the levels at St Johns Bridge on Saturday night and looking at the online situation.

"We got close to being concerned but it didn’t quite reach the threshold to start knocking on doors.”

Major flood defence work took place in Malmesbury late last year as part of ongoing efforts to prevent a repeat of the serious floods of 2012 and 2013, when the River Avon broke its banks.

The Avon was de-silted for 100 metres downstream of Town Bridge in order to make the river deeper and faster, lessening the chances of flooding.

Cllr Gundry said: “On Sunday the Sherston Avon was flowing speedily under the Town Bridge and immediately downstream the river was wider and deeper and could take a greater volume of water away from the town.”

Malmesbury Vics had to cancel their game on Saturday due to the flooded pitch, while strong winds toppled one of a pair of “landmark” blossom trees at the entrance to St Aldhelm’s Mead.

Resident Robert Peel took a photograph of the tree and commented: “It’s a real shame to lose one of Malmesbury’s landmark trees.

“After the grey skies and barren trees of the winter months, seeing this tree in full blossom in February was always a welcome sight.”

Emergency services were kept busy during the storm.

Police were called to help with a large tree that had fallen across a road in Minety, ripping down some cables.

While Firefighters were called out to deal with a telegraph pole that had snapped and was hanging over the road into Malmesbury from Crudwell.

Wiltshire Council also removed a large tree from Easton Square in Sherston after branches were torn off.