Hundreds of homeowners have been reaching for the sandbags again as Essex was put back on flood alert.

Between nine and 13 millimetres of rain fell in just three hours on Monday night, prompting the Environment Agency to issue the warning.

The agency is warning people living near the River Stour both up and downstream of Sudbury, the Roman River, the River Colne upstream of Wivenhoe and the Tendring peninsula.

There is also a flood watch for the River Blackwater upstream and the rivers Brain, Pant and Chelmer.

The rivers Can, Wid, Ter and Sandon Brook in and around Chelmsford are on alert, as is the Dengie Peninsula. And there is also a flood alert on the River Crouch.

Residents are warned to listen to weather bulletins and farmers should move livestock to higher ground.

The A12 flooded after mud and sludge had blocked drains. Police put up signs to warn motorists of the flooding on an A12 slip road at Hatfield Peverel at about 11pm on Monday but one vehicle still got stuck in the water.

Environment Agency experts estimated that between 60 and 70 homes had flooded across the county in the floods earlier this month and more than 3,000 sandbags were despatched from the Chelmsford depot.

At the height of the flooding in Colchester dozens of sandbags were piled up aside homes in Riverside Walk off North Station Road as the River Colne burst its banks.

The Environment Agency Floodline is on 0645 881188 and latest flood news can be accessed on the web at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood/flood_update.htm

Chelmsford: Agency blamed for flooding to riverside homes

Brought to you by the Essex Chronicle

Sandford Mill residents say they are "astonished" by an Environment Agency denial that a River Chelmer flood defence failure sparked flooding to their homes three weeks ago.

One failed sluice had to be lifted by a crane that was in the area ready for maintenance operations saving the £70 million Meadows shopping centre from going under water.

At the time residents around Sandford Mill described how within minutes of the gate being lifted near the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, water surged up to their waists and homes on the Great Baddow side ended up in four feet of water.

The gate nearest the record office is operated by an automatic sensor - but just as it was operating, Environment Agency staff noticed the lifting cables were frayed and in danger of shearing so it was raised and left in the open position.

Cables operating on another sluice near the Meadows Car Park failed and the gate had to be lifted by the crane there for October and November maintenance.

A spokeswoman for the Agency at Peterborough said: "The action undertaken to secure the gates in the open position would not have led to any sudden surge of water passing down the River Chelmer.

"The recent flooding event has been a particularly intense one and properties downstream of Chelmsford have borne the effects of overtopping of the River Chelmer whose levels have remained very high over a period of time. This resulted in the flooding of some properties in the area."

Mrs Mary Heelis who is living in temporary accommodation for up to six months while her 300-year-old cottage is refurbished after four foot floods, commented: "I think any reasonable person would find this explanation hard to swallow.

"The surge came about half an hour after their action. We have had lots of flood prevention work done around here and still it flooded more seriously than ever before."

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