WORK should start within days on making a Kent village safer from the threat of flooding. The ford at Patrixbourne will be lowered and deeper channels cut under the village's bridge to increase the water's flow.

Canterbury MP Julian Brazier, who has been pressing for action for some time, said he was pleased to see that remedial work would start. "It now seems that everyone is ready to roll and the work should start this week," he said. "Providing we do not have another deluge in the next few days Patrixbourne should be safe from another wet winter."

Transco and Seeboard have to move two nearby cables before work can start on lowering the ford. Approval for that has just been given.

Mr Brazier said cutting deeper channels under the bridge was the best solution in the circumstances. "The bridge is listed and it would be very expensive to replace it, even if permission was given," he said. "This is the best we can do bearing in mind we can't replace the bridge.

"However, it will greatly increase the flow and the channel will go under the bridge at a better angle. The ford has to be lowered because all that will happen otherwise is a different lot of houses will be flooded. I am a lot happier now than I was a week ago as it should be possible to finish the work quite quickly."

Mr Brazier said that although he was pleased Patrixbourne was being helped there were many other nearby villages, including Littlebourne, which are still vulnerable to flooding.

Last week Mr Brazier criticised Transco and Seeboard and said their delay in sorting out the work on the cables was holding up the flood defence improvements in Patrixbourne. But Claire Byrd, Seeboard press officer, said the company was formally instructed about the work only on October 25 and began preparing the next day. It had not held up the improvements.