RESIDENTS in Haltwhistle have teamed up with scientists at Newcastle University in a bid to end the town’s flooding problems.

Haltwhistle has endured several incidents of flash flooding in recent years, with homes affected at Town Foot, the Mart, and elsewhere.

Scientists from the university have carried out a study to record rainfall and river levels, as well as examining the town’s flood-related incidents over the past five years.

The study involved local volunteers, who were given training on how to make observations and record data.

The university’s Eleanor Starkey, who led the research, said: “Good quality monitoring is needed to create and improve models that can be used to predict how flooding might affect particular locations.

“But accurate data about the nature and frequency of flash flooding is hard to gather for many parts of the UK due to the short-lived nature of this type of flooding.”

Eleanor said the study involved residents, landowners, and members of the Haltwhistle Burn Flood Watch Group.

She added: “What’s great about this citizen science approach is that it isn’t just about the data collection.

“It offers the public an exciting opportunity to work alongside scientists, share valuable local knowledge and help foster a greater sense of community.”

The study took place as part of a larger project led by Tyne Rivers Trust, to improve water quality in the Haltwhistle Burn catchment area, with funding by the Natural Environment Research Council, Defra, and the Environment Agency.

The project has included the installation of a 60-metre ‘ladder’ of logs, carefully pinned to the banks of Slaty Sike, a tributary of Haltwhistle Burn.

It is designed to slow the flow of rainfall and prevent debris and stones being washed downstream.

Susan Mackirdy, director of Tyne Rivers Trust, said: “This research helps us to better understand the river and result in better management of similar tributaries.”