ENVIRONMENT chiefs warned people in Woodley and Earley to brace themselves for possible flooding following heavy rainfall last week.

A flood alert was raised in the early hours of Sunday morning and water levels have been high, with more rain predicted to fall.

Areas close to the banks of the River Loddon are infamous flooding hotspots, including the Moat House Hotel near Lower Earley Way, and the Showcase Cinema in Reading Road, Winnersh.

Commuters trying to take a shortcut along Sandford Lane, between Woodley and Winnersh, were held up following the new year festivities on Monday when the road was closed due to streaming water on the tarmac.

On Tuesday, Mill Lane, which runs between Lower Earley and Sindlesham, was also closed because of flooding.

But Emma Buse, manager of The George pub and restaurant near the river on Wokingham Road, Earley, is not panicking about the alert.

She said: “There have been problems over the years, but nothing serious. The water usually comes into the back garden. If it comes into the pub we will mop it up.”

Experts say homes should not flood this year when the river does burst its banks. Residents living near the river in Earley have been warned to prepare for highway flooding, but immediate action is not required at the moment.

A warning notice from the Environment Agency said: “Water levels on the River Loddon are continuing to fall slowly and are back within the banks but remain high in the Arborfield, Sindlesham Mill and Winnersh areas.” Further rain was forecast for last night and into today.

Last October, Wokingham Borough Council and Reading Borough Council jointly opened a new park and ride at Winnersh Triangle station after the previous site near the Showcase Cinema fell victim to repeated flooding, forcing closures and delays to commuters.