A NEW multi-million pound flood defence scheme was given the official seal of approval in a ceremony today.

Newport East AM John Griffiths said the £7 million flood scheme in Riverside, Newport, will protect 420 homes and businesses in the city.

Prior to the building of the flood defence, the area was potentially a life threatening flood risk hot spot.

That was because of the possibility of rapid flooding and the relatively poor access into and out of the area.

The risk to the area was made worse by the deterioration of the previous flood defences.

If one of the walls, which was said by the Welsh Government to be in a poor condition, had failed there would have been a 50 per cent change of the area flooding every year.

Work on the defence began in May 2011 and has taken 13 months to complete.

Mr Griffiths, who is also environment minister, said the opening of the scheme was all the more poignant as it follows recent events in West Wales.

He said the scheme "will help to reduce flood risk and provide peace of mind for 420 householders and businesses in the Riverside area of Newport".

A total of £4.4 million of Welsh Government cash and £2.6 million of money from the European Regional Development Fund was used to fund the defences.