MAJOR new flood defence work will take place in Malmesbury later this month as part of ongoing moves to prevent a repeat of the serious floods of 2012 and 2013 when the River Avon broke its banks.

The Avon will be de-silted for 100 metres downstream of the Town Bridge in order to make the river deeper and faster, thus lessening the chances of flooding.

Workmen will use a digger to remove hundreds of tonnes of silt, stones and vegetation that has built up over the years that will help the river flow as fast as possible during heavy rain.

The base of the town’s old gasometer, which protrudes into the river, will also be dismantled to make the river wider on a section of the Avon where the worst flooding occurs.

The scheme, which follows work between Wiltshire Council, the Environment Agency and the Malmesbury Flood Working Group is due to start on Monday, August 24 and last for up to two weeks.

Former Mayor of Malmesbury Ray Sanderson, who chairs the working group, said: “De-silting this stretch of the river will go some way towards reducing the possibility of floods.

“Removing the remains of the gasometer will also help as it will make the river wider.”

The silt will be dumped in a car park alongside the river and left there for a day or two in order to “let the creepy crawlies out” before being disposed of by Wiltshire Council.

Residents living alongside that stretch of the Avon have all been notified of the work by the council.

Mr Sanderson said that the scheme was “great news” for Malmesbury and follows work undertaken last year to re-profile part of the riverside landscape on the other side of the Avon.

In 2012 four people were rescued by firefighters when the town centre was awash during the worst floods in 70 years.

There were further problems in 2013 when roads were closed and more properties damaged.

The Malmesbury Flood Working Group, an independent body of residents, was created to help solve the flooding and to work with the authorities to prevent similar problems.

Key to the problem, however, will be the eagerly awaited publication of an Environment Agency document outlining a long term solution.