RESIDENTS in a swamped Winchester village will be continuing a 24-hour floodwatch over the New Year holiday to help protect their homes.

Over the past two weeks Twyford has become a "sandbag city" with around 200 homes affected by overloaded culverts and rising groundwater.

Hazeley Road and Finches Lane, which have become rivers, are still closed to traffic, while the main B335 is acting as a dam and has created a large lake in the centre of the village.

Many residents are still using portable loos because there are problems with the sewers and they have been told not to flush their toilets.

Although water levels are beginning to subside a little, it is feared more homes could still be flooded if it rains again.

Chairman of the parish council, Chris Corcoran, said: "River levels are falling and the flood water through the village has reduced. But we do anticipate more problems, so we will continue our floodwatch.

"The sewers are still not functioning properly and houses are now being tested for pollution.

"We are like sandbag city, but everyone has pulled together to deal with the crisis and has helped with carrying out regular checks around the village."

Around 2,000 sandbags have been moved into Twyford in a bid to hold back the water, while pipes have been laid across the B335 to help pump water away from other streets.

Winchester City Council will have engineers on duty over the festive season to deal with existing and any new flood problems across the district.

Chief executive David Cowan said: "We are dealing with a whole range of engineering, housing and environmental health issues across a very wide area. The community has been fantastic and this, together with the efforts of a large number of dedicated staff from the city and county councils, and the emergency services, has enabled us to support those communities in greatest need."