Lamb Fears for Repeat of 1953 Flood Disaster

12.00.00am GMT Sun 1st Feb 2009

North Norfolk MP, Norman Lamb has called for a 'last ditch' meeting amid fears that the scrapping of Norfolk's flood sirens may place residents at risk of another 1953 flood catastrophe.

"It is an extremely emotional subject in Norfolk because of those that lost their lives in 1953. The decision to stop using sirens comes at a time when the threat [of flooding] is very clearly increasing. Sea levels are rising. There is a greater risk of storms because of global warming. At the same time sea defences are being downgraded."

"Police say they will knock door-to-door in the event of a threat. But we have remote communities dotted along the coast. There is no way you could deploy a police force along that coastline at the same time in the dead of night and in a raging storm." said Norman Lamb.

Norman is joined in his efforts to save the sirens by local Lib Dem campaigner and volunteer flood warden, Dr Marie Strong who is very concerned about the impact the loss of sirens may have upon local residents, "When the siren sounds, it is - as one person told me - a signal to run like hell," she said.

"These phone calls that are meant to replace the sirens - well, people just don't comprehend them. Especially the elderly, who make up many who live in these threatened areas. Who takes a phone with them to bed?

"One of our elderly neighbours got a message that said: 'Move your pets and valuables to a safer area. Prepare to evacuate. Move upstairs.' She lives in an ancient little bungalow. Another woman had an elderly aunt who was so worried about the messages - and they are always changing - that her niece assured her: 'Don't worry. I'll hear the siren, auntie, and I'll come and make sure you're all right.' What of these people?"

At present, Norfolk has 57 sirens adapted from those originally erected during the second world war. While the county council is responsible for their upkeep, the agency and police have said they do not want to use them, preferring more modern warning systems.