MORE than three kilometres of ditches have been cleared in West Oxfordshire as part of annual flood-defence work.

District council engineers removed fallen trees, branches and vegetation at 15 sites.

Overgrown shrubbery on the banks was also cut back.

David Harvey, cabinet member for environment, said: “Ditch clearing helps safeguard communities from avoidable flooding and makes a big difference to local wildlife.”

Government grants and the Environment Agency funded the work.