NEARLY four miles of sewerage pipe is to be laid in Pershore as part of a £43m initiative by Severn Trent Water to protect Worcestershire rivers and prevent flooding.

The water giant is to start the second phase of its initiative to replace the town's outdated sewerage system in a bid to reduce the risk of flooding during heavy rain.

Last month, a flood defence system was ruled out in a report by the Environment Agency, as it claimed flood banks on the Avon would be too expensive and ruin the environment.

The £4.5m programme, which is also aimed at protecting the local environment, will start at the town's Cherry Orchard primary school next week.

A further one-and-a-half miles of piping will also be upgraded during the work.

Wayne Earp, sewerage manager at Severn Trent Water, said the work - which includes the installation of two pumping stations - would reduce the risk of internal flooding to 12 homes, and garden flooding at another 18.

The pumping stations, to be situated at Cherry Orchard and Wyre Road, are aimed at removing waste from the town's 30,000 people more effectively.

"The second phase of the scheme will see more than six kilometres of new sewer laid," he said.

"This scheme is part of a £43m plan for even more protection for Worcestershire rivers over the next five years."

But Mr Earp added that although workmen would try to keep disturbance to a minimum, traffic would be disrupted during the work.

Station Road, Wyre Road, and Cherry Orchard are just some of the town's roads which will be affected during the work.

"We'll be tunnelling a new sewer to connect the pumping station at Cherry Orchard to the local system," Mr Earp said.

"Inevitably this, and the rest of the work we have to do, will cause some local traffic problems over the next few months.

"We're working hard to keep those to an absolute minimum, and of course the benefits of the new system will benefit the town for decades."