A BUS service has been put in place for villagers suffering disruption while work is carried out to protect homes from flooding.

Contractors are now working on a £1 million Severn Trent Water project in Harvington to combat sewer flooding during heavy rainfall.

In a bid to reduce disruption caused by the closure of Leys Road while new pipes are installed, the company has sponsored a bus service to ensure elderly villagers are not cut off by diversions.

Chris Kelsey, programme manager at Severn Trent Water, said: “Homes in Harvington are affected by sewer flooding during times of heavy rainfall – we must improve our sewer system to help prevent this happening again.

“We are investing almost £1 million to install sewer pipes and a storm water storage tank to cope with large volumes of water.

“We’ve done all we can to keep disruption to a minimum, working closely with Harvington Parish Council and Worcestershire County Council. We expect to complete the improvements by the end of October.”

Residents hit by the works include John Hardman, aged 75, and his wife Shirley, 76, of Leys Road.

Mr Hardman said: “It makes life a lot more difficult having to deal with this. If I wanted to go to the Post Office, instead of three-quarter of a mile trip now it is a nine-mile trip.

“Walking isn’t an option.

Normally we would pop out for things like lunch or breakfast but we can’t.”

However, parish councillor Millie Chadwick, said: “I am delighted that Severn Trent and [contractors] NMCNomenca have been working to minimise disruption. This work desperately needs doing, but it is hard to cope with the diversions.

“For some villagers, especially those who rely on the goodwill of others to provide lifts, the situation had meant that they couldn’t get out.

“Severn Trent and NMCNomenca have offered to provide transport for elderly residents.

For further information abouthe work, e-mail cont actus@nmcnomenca.co.uk or call Severn Trent Water on 08007 834444.