RESIDENTS living near the banks of the River Usk in Caerleon escaped flooding during last night's high tide.

But they renewed their calls for immediate action to improve their flood defences. Worried locals gathered on Isca Road to watch the River Usk rise to within just a few feet of their temporary flood defences.

Last month, a main section of their defence wall was washed away during heavy storms, sparking fears that up to 60 homes in the quiet residential area could be hit by flooding during last night's monthly high tide.

The Environment Agency's flood defence team was on hand throughout the night reinforcing the damaged wall with sandbags.

And although residents' worst fears were not realised, there were still concerns that the remaining section of the damaged wall could be washed away before next month's high tide, due on September 19, expected to be up to half a metre higher.

Lin Gray, spokeswoman for the Isca Residents Association, said: "It now seems that all the different parties want to make something happen, but nobody is prepared to take the bull by the horns.

"We know that it is a huge project to repair the flood defences around here, and that it cannot happen straight away, but it has now got to the stage where something has got to be done.

"What we want to see immediately is the wall shored up before next month's high tide."" Newport council are set to go to the National Assembly next month to ask for a "grant restitution" which would free up the cash needed to finalise a joint project with the Environment Agency which would permanently protect the area from flooding.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said it had been keeping a watch on the area because of the high tides this week but there had been no reports of flooding.

"We are doing everything from the agency's point of view to try to promote a joint scheme with Newport county borough council which can get the necessary funding.

"In the meantime, obviously we are making sure that when these high tides come we have got sufficient people on the ground and contingency plans in place to try to assist the residents and stop their homes being flooded."

*PICTURED: Erik Gibbons and other residents living near the River Usk at Caerleon are calling for immediate improvements to flood defences.