Hailey Road closed (From Witney Gazette)

Hailey Road closed

9:29am Wednesday 16th January 2008 in Witney By Tim Hughes

A MAIN road has been closed to traffic, following fears that passing motorists are pushing waves of floodwater into homes.

West Oxfordshire District Council closed on Tuesday the B4022 Hailey Road in Witney, parts of which were under water.

The road is the principal route between Witney and Chipping Norton.

Sandbags have also been distributed to householders in Witney and in villages across West Oxfordshire, including Bablock Hythe - scene of some of the worst flooding last July.

The council's head of community services, Bill Oddy, said: "We are concerned about the amount of water coming off the hills.

"We have put in a temporary road closure to stop vehicles coming through and causing bow waves."

Photographer Barry Clack, from Hailey Road, Witney, said: "People here are worried. They don't know what to do. Water is already up to some people's front doors, and there are homes where people have already left."