Many Malmesbury homeowners who have been affected by the recent floods continue to keep their furniture up on bricks as they wait out the end of persistent rain.

The mayor John Gundry described the last month as a ‘testing time’ with many people still on tenterhooks as they keep an eye on weather forecasts and Environment Agency warnings.

“We have had continuous waves of storms; it’s just coming again and again and we just never knew all over Christmas,” he said.

“It’s been a testing time.

“We’ve had at least four occasions where large storms have come in and those of us watching it come in have been wondering what it means for Malmesbury.”

Houses and the football club pitch and club house in Malmesbury were flooded on Christmas Eve, but since then properties have escaped further damage, although Malmesbury Victoria Football Club’s pitch has been repeatedly flooded.

“Most of the at-risk houses are well looked after by the Warden and Freeman but people are still having to keep their furniture up on bricks, quite wisely,” said Coun Gundry.

“It will be such a relief to everybody if the last month of rainfall came to a close as people are worried; it just keeps coming back again.”