A RETIRED Hampshire couple are hoping to spend Christmas back in their own home after it was wrecked by floods a year ago.

Barney and Jennifer Bass have spent the last 12 months confined to an upstairs apartment while their home has be practically rebuilt around them after floods damaged the ground floor of their riverside property.

But the couple fear their newly refurbished home could once again fall victim to flooding after flood defence work was postponed.

The pair have hit out at Environmental Agency officials for failing to carry out maintenance work along the River Meon that last November burst it banks causing flood misery to dozens of residents in Wickham.

Mrs Bass said: "We have been in constant contact with the Environment Agency and they have been completely unsupportive of our concerns.

"When the floods hit they said they would come and dredge the river after they found it was badly silted up leaving the water with no-where to go.

"They repeatedly delayed the work until November but now that deadline has passed and they still have not done the work they promised."

Regional flood defence manager for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Tim Kermode said the work had been delayed due to other priorities.

He said: "Last year some 104 villages in Hampshire suffered from flooding we have been assessing the needs of all the residents affected and have had to employ six extra consultants to cope with the work load.

"We had to assess where best our resources could be used to help prevent flooding this year and unfortunately we have had to delay the dredging of the River Meon until the new year."

Mr Kermode added that although the dredging of the Meon would help against flooding of nearby properties the action itself would not stop the problem.

Mr Kermode revealed major flood defence programmes could be instigated across the county in 'at risk' areas that could take up to seven years to complete.

When the River Meon burst it's banks last November the Bass' were among 20 residents who had to be evacuated from their homes along Riverside Mews in Wickham.

Since then residents have been returning to their properties after paying out hundreds of thousands of pounds in insurance claims to replace furniture and build anti-flood measures in to their homes.

Mrs Bass said: "The last year has been just awful we have been living in a cramped apartment while the builders have taken the house right back to it's concrete floor and bricks.

"There has been an obstructive and complacent attitude towards flood victims that is summed up by them delaying carrying out necessary flood prevention work."