A £750,000 scheme to ease flooding throughout Oxford was completed today.

The Environment Agency’s work to install culverts on Hinksey Drain near the Redbrige park-and-ride site has freed up a bottleneck to the south of the city that had caused water to back up.

Three giant culverts were installed in September and a new bridge, to allow access to the railway line, was placed over them. The completion of the work, on schedule, was welcomed by campaigners.

Dr Peter Rawcliffe, of the Oxford Flood Alliance, said: “It will be absolutely certain to reduce the flood risk for everybody upstream of that point, including South Hinksey, the Abingdon Road area, Botley Road and even up towards Binsey and as far as Wytham.

“This work is part of many measures but it has removed what was a terrible pinch-point.

“It has been long in the planning, but it’s an impressive sight and we must say ‘well done’ to the Environment Agency.”