Sandbags at the ready for floods

AN ANGUS company which supplies sandbags to the UK's armed forces and scores of local authorities has prepared for the big thaw by importing £2 million worth of flood defence bags from a supplier in Ireland.

Flood defence and agricultural packaging firm SG Baker will import the "Big Bag System" designed by Irish company Global Flood Solutions over the next three years in response to this winter's heavy snowfalls and as the nation faces up to more frequent extreme weather conditions.

Dennis Faron, managing director of SG Baker, said: "After the extensive flooding of last winter, and high levels of recent snowfall, it was important we signed this deal now in order to have the system ready for the coming thaw and flood season."

Roscommon-based Global Flood Solutions, which was founded in 2009, claimed the deal as a "major coup" for the young company.

Director Shane Curran said: "The UK has had some serious flooding problems over recent years and, as we've seen in Cornwall recently, this looks set to be a problem again this year, which will be compounded with the high levels of recent snow. So the ability to provide flood defences that can be deployed quickly and cost effectively is vital."