Inquiry held into summer flooding

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An inquiry has been launched into the devastating summer floods across Gloucestershire.

The review, being led by the county council, will consider what caused the disaster and make recommendations to prevent it happening again.

It will also focus on how the emergency services, councils and utility companies dealt with the emergency.

The hearings will take place in October, with results then being fed back to central government.

Chairman of the Inquiry Rob Garnham said: "We are taking evidence so that we can build up a complete picture of what happened in the summer.

"We are keen to learn lessons so that we are as prepared as possible to deal with future events.

"The response to the emergency that we witnessed throughout the county was outstanding, but it is important that we review how we responded, as well as the real impact the flooding and water shortages had on people's lives.

"We are keen to gather as much evidence as we can from all the agencies involved and we're also making it easy for the public to send us their views," he added.

The council will call specific witnesses, with voluntary organisations and the public also invited to submit written evidence.