PEOPLE are being asked to clear ditches on their own land and “play their part”, alongside Hampshire County Council, in preventing localised flooding this winter.

Since April, the county council has been hard at work clearing more than 60,000 gullies, 4,600 catch pits and completed 22 major highways drainage schemes to help prevent flooding.

Sean Woodward, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for economy, transport and environment, said: “We can’t prevent flooding completely but there is a lot that we can all do to reduce the impact on our neighbourhoods. I am asking local residents if they can regularly check ditches and watercourses on their own land to make sure they are clear of leaves, vegetation and other debris and not blocked up by grass cuttings or other rubbish.”

The council spends more than £2m a year maintaining 550 miles of highway drains and more than 200,000 roadside gullies but there are many gullies and watercourses on private land which can be blocked. These blockages can often lead to flooding on local roads after heavy rainfall.

When flooding does occur the council’s team of emergency engineers is on call continuously, seven days a week, to unblock highway drains and clear fallen trees from roads – all to keep the county’s roads clear and traffic moving.

Residents are also being asked to ensure that piped sections of watercourses that lie under driveways are kept clear as it is these restricted locations that are often the most vulnerable to flooding and need the most attention.