Pressure is on the local authorities and Government bodies to bring in more flood prevention measures to protect those living in Malmesbury, which has been hit with flooding twice in 13 months.

Malmesbury Town Council, Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency are working together to bring about short and long-term plans to avoid a repeat of the devastation of November 2012.

The flooding on Christmas Eve has only served to add to the pressure for more to be done to protect homes and families.

The mayor, Coun John Gundry, was out in the early hours of Christmas Eve with Coun Sue Poole and members of the Warden and Freemen helping people to move their cars and handing out gel sacs to householders at risk of flooding.

“Some houses had put in flood defence measures but for some of those houses water was coming in through the floor, which, in my view, is very difficult to protect against,” said Coun Gundry.

“The flooding was nothing like as high or as serious as last time but any flooding is a cause for concern, so there is no sense of there being any degree of complacency.

“The town council has asked Wiltshire Council to undertake remedial work at Cucking Stool Mead and to clear rubble out of the town bridge; it hasn’t happened yet.

“We are also expecting a report from the Environment Agency in April or May which will outline their findings as to what might be able to be done (in terms of flood prevention measures).

“There are long-term measures but we won’t know about those until we receive the report from the Environment Agency.

“There is no consolation to those who have been flooded this Christmas and we are all on tenterhooks now.”