Ruthin people spent years worrying about flood dangers

It opened in Ruthin last October in the wake of four floods in four years, which forced dozens of residents out of their homes for months.

There had been mounting criticism of the cost of the scheme to divert water away from the town, after the price jumped from �1m to �3m.

But June Jones, who has lived in Ruthin for 13 years and has been flooded four times, said it was money well spent.

If we hadn't have had that culvert done we'd have been in trouble June Jones, flood victim

People in the town were promised defences to prevent further damage to their homes and this was its first major test.

"I am so delighted that we haven't been flooded," she said.

"If we hadn't have had that culvert done we'd have been in trouble.

"We haven't had any sandbags down or any environment calls, you'd normally get a flood warning then a flood alert, but we've had nothing."

In 2001 she was left homeless for five months, and was forced to stay first with relatives, then in bed and breakfast accommodation and finally she was loaned a holiday flat.

"You have no idea of the things that really upset you," she said.

"I came over to get two lamps, one of them was broken. I got so hysterical, it was unbelievable.

"The insurance claim was nearly �20,000."

She said people hit by the latest floods in Llanrwst and Trefriw in the Conwy Valley would eventually be able to put events behind them.

"I'm just getting to the point where I don't jump out of bed if it's raining," she said.

"You can only look forward, you just can't stop water, once it's coming, that's it."

The Ruthin project has seen a brook which runs under Mwrog Street and along farmland to Denbigh Road redirected to join the river Clwyd.

The water is then carried away from the town.