A flood defence scheme which would have protected hundreds of vulnerable homes in Charvil has been shelved.

The £3million engineering plan was investigated in a pre-feasibility study by the Environment Agency and if completed would have seen hundreds of at risk homes removed from the flood plain.

The idea suggested was to raise a number of two-metre high earth bunds near the River Loddon, but it was abandoned because flood water would simply be pushed downstream to flood other homes.

The EA said it had to be dropped because it was unable to find a way to safely divert the flood water.

"This wasn't to do with a lack of funding," said EA project manager John Share.

"It was discontinued because it wasn't technically viable to implement the scheme.

"It was identified in the study as a possible option - but a suitable area for flood storage could not be identified."