A £10,000 emergency cash pot has been found to help residents in Tendring fight back against flooding.

The money has been made available due to the exceptional weather conditions over the past couple of weeks and to provide free sandbags to owners of homes which are at risk.

Bill Bleakley, Tendring Council's portfolio holder for finance, made the decision to release the funding as an emergency measure after consulting with the executive leader, Terry Allen.

"It will meet the cost of supplying and where necessary delivering filled sandbags to the occupiers of properties liable to flooding," he said. "This will be done free of charge while there is a need."

Normally the sandbags are provided at a cost of £2.50 each.

Mr Bleakley explained that this was a temporary measure due to the increased risk of flooding in Tendring and the need to help protect homes.

"In due course the charge will resume," he added.

Published Thursday, January 9, 2003

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