Residents to find out why new Kempsey water pump failed in floods

The failed pump outside the village of Kempsey in Worcestershire Credit: ITV Central

Residents in Kempsey will today find out why their brand new water pump failed during December's floods in a drop in session.

The village of Kempsey was flooded despite a new flood defence system being installed by the Environment Agency.

The £1.5m Kempsey project, which took almost 12 months to complete, involved the building of an earth embankment to protect the village from the River Severn.

About 30 houses in the village were evacuated in the early hours of Sunday morning after heavy rain led to flooding.

A few days later the flooding had died down Credit: ITV Central

The pumps were designed to allow the Hatfield brook, which runs through the village, to join the river during floods.

But it's thought an electrical problem inside may have stopped the pumping machinery from working. That led to water pouring into up to fifteen houses.