Liberal Democrats were celebrating that the ruling Tory group on Herts County Council has finally admitted the performance on flooding is not good enough. A motion criticising the continued failures and calling for action was modified by the Tories on Tues to make it clear they would not spend any more money, but did call for performance to be improved.

Cllr Malcolm Cowan. who proposed the motion, said: ‘Clearly the action needed has been watered down, but it is a start, and we will back again if it doesn’t improve. Herts residents are fed up with roads being under water every time it rains, and seeing no action week after week, month after month, and year after year.

‘In one case I did get fixed, some while back, residents told me they had had the problem for 35 years.’