Hawick calls for flood defence work to start now

RESIDENTS of a Borders town are calling for urgent action to combat flooding after being forced to flee their homes for the third time in six weeks.

Rescue workers ferried stranded residents to safety in Carlisle. Picture: Getty

Around 600 people were evacuated in Hawick this week after the remnants of Storm Jonas caused the Teviot and Slitrig rivers to overflow.

The latest deluge comes as many people are still picking up the pieces from storms Desmond and Frank in December.

Now townsfolk have said “enough is enough” and that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency should act.

A £29 million flood defence scheme is expected to be in place by 2020, but Borders councillor Stuart Marshall insisted work must be done immediately.

He said: “If Hawick is to wait years for a flood protection scheme to be delivered, then these rivers should be getting tidied up, either by dredging or through removal of debris and vegetation along their banks.

“Enough is enough.”

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