Vince Cable

The Environment Agency has told Vincent Cable MP this week that its letter to Twickenham residents warning of flood risk should not imply a change in their insurance cover and may mean that risks are still "very low".

Vincent Cable had written to the Agency after residents had complained of the alarmist tone of the letters. Thousands of Twickenham residents had received the letter urging them to register with Flood Warnings Direct although the area concerned - the Heatham estate and around the A316 Chertsey Road - has never been flooded or even threatened with flooding.

Vincent Cable said: "The Agency has now acknowledged to me that the people who received the target mailing were merely "close to a natural floodplain" and were told in case they had "friends or relatives they may wish to help out" or "may park their car or own a garage in flood risk area". Frankly this is a bit lame. The original letter which residents received gave the distinct impression that they were at risk of flooding.

"I hope that residents have not been panicked into taking out extra insurance cover or contacting their insurance company since the Agency now claims that the letter "will not affect insurance in any way."

"I think this is a case of overzealous officials with absolutely no knowledge of the area spending a lot of public money on a publicity exercise, the only consequence of which has been to create unnecessary worry."