A FREE flood warning service is now available for people living in Silsden, which was badly hit in the Boxing Day floods of 2015.

The flood warning system has been updated in West Yorkshire, meaning the vital early alerts and messages are now available to the more than 300 properties at risk alongside Silsden Beck.

The Environment Agency is using new data to provide more accurate alerts to help communities to be better prepared for flooding, should the level of the beck rise again.

As a result the agency is encouraging Silsden residents to check if their homes are at risk and to sign up to the alerts so they can be made of aware of when floods could hit.

Heather Cottrill, from the Environment Agency’s flood resilience team said: “Silsden Beck can rise and flow very quickly after heavy rain, but this new warning aims to alert the community in a timely manner, giving them more time to prepare, and to be aware of flooding so that they do not put themselves at danger.”

Members of the Environment Agency’s flood resilience team will be at Silsden Town Hall on Wednesday, December 6, between 4pm and 7pm, to give residents an opportunity to have their say on the new flood warning area, register for the free service and learn how to be prepared for flooding.

Councillor Adrian Naylor (Craven, Ind) welcomed the move, but added that homes in the area were also at risk of groundwater flooding, which the alerts do not cover.

He told the Telegraph & Argus: “Parts of Silsden were quite badly hit during the Boxing Day floods two years ago. A number of homes were affected, but some in St John Street were hit by flooding from the beck as well as flooding from water running off the park and coming up through blocked gullies.

“I’ve asked the Environment Agency if representatives from Bradford Council and Yorkshire Water can be invited to the meeting on Wednesday to make it a multi-agency meeting.

“I think it would be beneficial for people, because those that sign up to the alerts and messages may not otherwise make the distinction between flooding from the beck and flooding from other sources.”

He added that the Environment Agency and other agencies are conducting a review of the Silsden Beck basin and are looking at having a holistic approaching to flooding there.

He also said he had concerns about planned housing developments in the town, which need to be taken into account when looking at the chances of the area flooding again, particularly when it came to groundwater flooding.

Residents can find out if they are eligible to receive the free flood warnings, and also register, by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or by visiting floodsdestroy.campaign.gov.uk.

Flood warnings give people valuable time to prepare for flooding. It can give them the time to move themselves, their families and precious items to safety.

Flood warnings can also save lives and enable the emergency services to prepare and help communities.

The website also provides information on how people can prepare for a flood and keep themselves safe.