Villagers fear their homes will be flooded again unless Railtrack takes action to clear silt from ditches and drains under roads.

Heavy rain led to homes in Kennington being flooded last year as the nearby Hinksey Stream became swollen.

Engineers from Oxfordshire County Council and the Vale of White Horse District Council have cleared blocked drains and improved the underground system so future floodwater should flow back into the stream. But Kennington Parish Council says the new measures will only be of use after floods have already struck and criticised Railtrack for refusing to clear its drains.

Parish clerk George Ross said: "We want the water not to get on to the roads in the first place. As flooding near the bridge caused lines to Paddington to close, you would think it would be in their interest to do something."

The district council's chief executive, Terry Stock, said: "There are two major arches that the water should flow through. But over the years the ditches and drains have silted up and water cannot flow through fast enough. All agencies - other than Railtrack - were supportive. The rest of us have done our bit."

But Railtrack engineers say that drains do not need to be cleared as there is enough room for water to pass through, despite six feet of silt having built up over years.

Spokesman Lou Tate said it was company policy not to clear culverts until they were completely blocked but added that an exception may now be made in Kennington.

However, no date is set for the work and the company is still in negotiations with the Environment Agency.