CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating a £3.6m plan to protect two New Forest towns that have suffered some of the worst flooding in the region.

The Environment Agency has unveiled long-awaited proposals to safeguard Ringwood and Fording-bridge following a series of floods that have devastated the riverside towns.

Worst hit has been Fordingbridge, which has seen a total of eight major floods in the past 40 years.

Now the Environment Agency is planning to build floodwalls or embankments on both sides of the River Avon in a bid to protect about 300 properties, including homes in Southampton Road.

However the much-needed scheme is unlikely to start until next April, which means the town must face another winter without adequate defences.

Colin Burt, chairman of pressure group Residents Against Fording-bridge Flooding, said: "Obviously everyone is hoping the Environment Agency scheme will do the job.

"Every time we get a lot of rain people look at the local rivers, streams and ditches to see if they're likely to flood.

"We will have to endure another winter without the new flood defences, but hopefully by next the winter the scheme will be in place."

Fordingbridge councillor and district council chairman Mike Shand also welcomed the scheme. He said: "If we'd had it 15 years ago we could have avoided the repetitive flooding.''

In Ringwood the agency is planning to build flood banks near Bickerley Common and the Old Cottage restaurant in nearby West Street.

Culverts near a former railway bridge will be cleaned out to increase capacity and a floodwall is due to be constructed near Riverside Terrace.