I WISH to express my heartfelt appreciation to the emergency services who responded so professionally during the recent flooding.

On a visible level we are all indebted to the sandbag crews, the police, the Environment Agency and the fire brigade - who rescued my family by inflatable boat.

I would also like to thank the "back room" staff who co-ordinated efforts and manned the telephones, and organised a public meeting last Friday evening.

It will take time for Bewdley to heal.

A start has been made with the formation of a group comprising local residents living in the affected areas.

I do trust that this will be an action group.

Bewdley needs a period of reconstruction and regeneration in order to reaffirm its identity as a beautiful riverside town, beloved by visitors and residents alike.

It is possible that many residents may find it difficult, or impossible, to obtain home insurance in the future, and those who do may face extremely high premiums.

May I suggest that Bewdley Town Council and Wyre Forest District Council examine the possibility of full or partial exemption of council tax .

Alternatively the council tax for those most likely to flood could be paid into a fund to be used for subsidising insurance premiums, or negotiating a group policy on behalf of residents.

If the council does not respond in a positive way there may be a real risk of certain parts of Bewdley declining, with a knock-on effect on the town's traders.

TONY BAILEY

Severnside South

Bewdley