I felt that I had to respond to Mr Nicholas’s letter published in February 19 edition of the Beacon. The county council have done a fantastic job reinstating the old blocked drains on the B4233, a job long overdue.

I have lived in Rockfield Village Parish for over 70 years and can testify that the surface water travels at speed from the Ash Flat - Hendre direction. The volume being real and fast flowing downhill, also water added from Whitehall Lane. This is all considerable by the time it reaches the village, hence this is why there are so many drains to take this high volume of water. Very little maintenance has been done to these drains in 50 years even with the Community Council frequently reporting the need.

In the late 1960s the volume was so bad that it demolished the wall at Red Lion Cottage and water went straight through the cottage.

Criticising the work of the council is certainly not justified. The elderly occupier of Red Lion Cottage is hopefully safe and reassured after it was flooded before Christmas and those that could not travel through the village because of the flood near the water trough below the old Post Office.

David Brian Edwards (Rockfield)