Flooded towpath shut as council makes warning

A towpath between Port Meadow and Botley Road in Oxford has been closed after it started to flood over.

Oxford City Council, which posted a warning about the closure, said other areas of the towpath and across the city might be faced with flooding over coming days.

"Last winter, two people drowned in the city in separate incidents after entering flooded towpaths. Do not take risks by entering any flooded areas near the river – divert, don't drown," it said.

Exclusive figures obtained by the BBC showed that, as of October, almost 9% of the 98,000 flood defences inspected by the Environment Agency were below the required condition.

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