Burst pipe floods Oxfordshire wildlife meadow for fourth time

Share Save Add as preferred on Google Jon Cuthill South of England environment correspondent BBC Repeated flooding due to a burst water main has left conservationists like Catriona Bass frustrated A wildlife charity fears it could lose a funding grant after a burst pipe prevented vital conservation work.

It is the fourth time Long Mead Local Wildlife Site, at Swinford in Oxfordshire, has been flooded because of a mains failure.

Although the meadow by the River Thames naturally floods in the winter, standing water at this time of year can cause damage to the rare habitat.

Thames Water said the latest leak had been fixed and it remained committed to protecting local wildlife sites.

"It's already starting to stagnate, so that's serious," said Catriona Bass, director of the Long Mead Foundation.

"Floodplain meadows are used to flooding in winter when the plants are dormant.