HAMBLEDEN Valley residents are looking forward to the end of the worst flooding in living memory as water levels begin to subside.

Thames Water, the Environment Agency, Buckinghamshire County Council and Wycombe District Council all met with residents at Hambleden Village Hall to announce the good news.

However, the group of representatives could not promise the waters would not rise again next year.

Geoff Bell of the Environment Agency, explained that 33 million cubic metres of water was still to come out of hills around the valley.

He said: "The Environment Agency realises we were unprepared for this sort of event. Nobody knows whether this rainfall will continue but even if we did know it would be impossible to avoid what has been happening here."

He said that the rainfall in the past eight months was the worst since records began in 1880.

All four agencies say they are doing their very best to mop up the problem with pumps and sandbags in action across the area.

Residents said they were pleased to see the various organisations working together but said they were concerned about the floods returning.

Resident Hugh Wilcock said: "I am certainly not convinced that it won't happen again."

Andy Carter, of Thames Water, responsible for the sewage systems in the valley said: "Obviously the sewage is not working as well as it has in the past due to the high water levels. We are here and we will stay here until the situation improves."

Mr Bell said the water level was dropping by 50 millimetres a day but added: "The water table still has a lot to go down."