RAIN failed to dampen the spirits of 21 Willersey residents who donned their Wellington boots and took up their shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows to clear 500 metres of ditches in a bid to reduce the risk of flooding within the village.

Forming Willersey Stream Team, 21 residents - aged eight to 78 - cleared tons of silt and rubbish from 500 metres of ditch running from the village’s recreation ground to a culvert under the disused Cheltenham-to-Stratford railway line.

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR) also sent Fi Fi, its Renault fire engine, which flushed drains and sumps on the south side of Broadway Road.

Villagers also widened the bottoms of ditches and cleared silt from pipes and ditches in The Quinary development.

GWR’s Chris Stockman, Nick Harper and Jonathan Search came along to help the villagers, who included Sue Gilder and Sally Gilder whose home was among 36 properties, representing 17 per cent of the dwellings in Willersey, flooded in July 2007.

Jennie Bond, Mal Jelfs and others supplied the workers with tea, soft drinks and home-made cakes.

Team leader Chris Stockman and team secretary, Tim Prestage, said residents took matters into their own hands after several failed attempts to motivate public utilities and riparian owners to maintain ditches in the village.

Mr Prestage said a quarter of the total drainage was cleared, which should reduce the flooding risk in Willersey’s Timms Green area.

PICTURE: (48 Willersey Stream Team.jpg) Getting stuck in - Willersey Stream Team at work.