ELDERLY residents forced out of their homes by flooding last Christmas Eve are backing a campaign to keep a neighbouring river free-flowing.

They are supporting Cherwell District Council’s campaign this month to stop people throwing rubbish in the River Bure.

It is hoped this will prevent a repeat of December’s floods partly caused by the restriction of the flow of the river near Hanover Gardens in Bicester.

Helen Robinson, 78, who lives in a ground-floor flat with husband Ted, 83, said: “I had to be evacuated on Christmas Eve; the floodwater was at knee height, it was horrible.

“I wasn’t allowed back until the middle of May.

“We lost all of our presents and our wedding photos. It was terrible.”

She said: “I think the information campaign is a great idea. We used to have a fence and wall that went around but the story is that someone complained about it and it was taken down.

“Since then a lot of debris has come down the river.

“The stream is covered in weeds and another deluge of water would stop the river flowing and it would flood again.”

Hanover Housing Association spent £300,000 on replacing fixtures, fittings, carpets and decor.

First-floor resident Ray Danzey, 70, spent Christmas in a hotel after the floodwater cut off utilities in his flat.

He said: “I think a campaign by the council is a good idea.

“So far they have’t done much at all because, even though people are back in their flats, the flooding could come back again.

“I think this is a step in the right direction but I think there should be more done all the way up stream.

“The plants that grow beside the river need to be taken away. They are not doing any good at all because they end up in the river and block it.”

He said: “I had no heat, no electricity, and I was out for four days. I had no Christmas dinner or anything like that. I stayed at the Premier Inn.

“I had to just eat bread rolls for my Christmas dinner. It was terrible.”

The campaign was approved at Monday’s meeting of the council’s executive.

The Environment Agency will conduct regular inspection and debris clearance along the river, raise awareness of its incident reporting service in Bicester and review the effectiveness of trash screens – metal grids placed in rivers – to identify if any could be removed to reduce the flood risk.

Oxfordshire County Council will improve the trash screen at Hanover Gardens to reduce the risk of debris build-up and blockages. It will also create an overflow channel into the nearby Back Stream.

The council will also promote the “Four Ds” of flooding – damage, disease, disruption and death – through local newspapers and radio, Cherwell Link magazine, social media and its website.

Cherwell spokeswoman Jemma Callow said: “This plan endorses a partnership approach by all organisations to ensure every possible step has been taken to prevent a repeat of last year’s flooding.”

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