PEOPLE living in flood risk areas have been urged to sign up to a warning notice scheme by Worcester MP Michael Foster.

His call comes amid concerns that up to a third of homes at risk from flooding are not registered to receive notification of flood warnings.

Mr Foster, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Flood Prevention, held a meeting recently with engineers, insurance company representatives and fellow MPs to discuss a new multi-media warning system.

Flood Warnings Direct, which is set to go live in May 2005, will provide warnings through a choice of mediums, including e-mail, mobile phone, faxes and pagers.

Currently only telephones are used and only 64 per cent of people living in flood danger areas are signed up for the warnings.

"It is vital that all those who live in risk areas register the flood warnings given out by the Environment Agency," Mr Foster said.

"It makes sense to be prepared and the new scheme will provide even greater coverage of warnings, so that more people can be helped to take precautionary measures."

Nationally, more than 1.7 million homes are at risk of flooding - 414,000 of which are at "significant" risk, meaning they face flooding at least every 75 years.

In Worcester, portable flood defences have been installed along Hylton Road, and permanent ones along Diglis Avenue and Pitchcroft Lane.

"The scale of flood risk is huge in this country, and with climate change, is going to get even worse," the Worcester MP added.

To register for flood warnings from the Environment Agency, call the Floodline on 0845 9881188.

Environment Agency chairman Sir John Harman will meet members of Worcester Action Against Flooding in the city on Friday.