CHIPPING Campden residents issued with sandbags during the heavy rain last month have been advised to hold on to them.

The town council said it people should keep the sandbags rather than return them to the fire station for storage.

Local resident and Chipping Campden Bulletin editor Jeremy Green said at the town council meeting last week that he thought the bags were to be returned to the fire station, where the sand would be emptied into a skip and the hessian sacks hung out to dry.

However, Cllr Clive Constable said that he had been advised that householders should empty the sand into a suitable container when the weather is dry and dry out the bags before storing them for future use.

Cllr Ann Taylor said that if the town council offered to collect sandbags they would be doing it "forever and a day".

Cllr Vanessa Ryle said the sandbags outside her home were too heavy for her to lift.

"I can't even remove the sandbags from the front door," she said.

But vice chairman John Ellis said there was an issue of how much public authorities can do to safeguard private properties.

"The primary responsibility rests with the householders," he said.