THE temporary flood barriers put up last week to protect homes and businesses in St John's, Worcester, have been taken down.

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said the decision to remove the barriers, along Hylton Road, was made late on Friday night after the peak height had passed through the city.

She said: "The forecast for the foreseeable future in the Welsh Mountains - from where the flood water flows - is cold and dry. "There will be some scattered showers, but nothing bad."

The river peaked on Friday at 4.1m (13ft 6ins). The normal winter height is 0.9m (approximately 3ft).

Without the barriers in place Hylton Road would ordinarily flood when the river reaches 4.25m (almost 14ft).

The spokeswoman added that work to take down the barriers took around four to five hours.

They were erected on Wednesday night and the cost of the operation is estimated at over £13,000.

The spokeswoman said the decision to put them up was justified.

She said: "Forecasting river levels is not an exact science. You can't say what it is going to be.

"Property, if you can protect it, must be protected.

"We will continue to monitor river levels and rainfall. If it turns out to be different then we will take action."