PEOPLE in Worcestershire were put on flood alert last night after levels on the River Severn in the county continued to rise.

The Environment Agency issued the alert for Worcester, Diglis, Kempsey Yacht Club, and Saxons Lode, while Upton-upon-Severn's flood scheme was in force yesterday.

However, residents need not fear the current levels, as they are "pretty normal" for the time of year.

It is thought the level will peak tomorrow morning.

Dave Throup from the Environment Agency said: "What we're seeing is pretty normal winter flooding.

"We had a lot of heavy rain over Wales overnight and that's affected the top of the River Severn quite a lot.

"There was also some quite intense local rain, so there's some localised flood alerts.

"The situation now is that the rain has cleared away and it looks dry for a day or two.

"If that's the case, we can take the smaller flood alerts off.

"The River Severn is going to continue to rise, with the peak due tomorrow.

"We'll be very closely monitoring the situation and see what the next lot of rain brings."

According to Mr Throup, the level in Worcester will not shock long-time residents.

It is a far cry from the shocking scenes that have marred the city in recent years.

"The Severn will peak at 4m, which is 1.5m lower than last February and about what we expect to see in winter - it's a normal raised winter level," he said.

"There maybe some limited disruption and riverside footpaths might be affected.

"Overall, I'd say these are very normal winter levels and people who have been in Worcester for a few years will be used to seeing the river like this."