Flood-hit UK braces for more rain

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Heavy rain could bring more chaos over the weekend in parts of the country already devastated by the worst flooding in 60 years, the Met Office said on Saturday.

Forecasters issued severe weather warnings for much of southern England and Wales, with up to 4cm (1.6 inches) of rain expected to fall in six to nine hours from Saturday evening.

Swollen rivers could burst their banks, while surface water may cause flash floods.

Large areas have been left under water and at least eight people have died during weeks of torrential rain. Thousands are still without mains water.

Police in Gloucestershire, one of the worst affected areas, stepped up patrols on Saturday around emergency water tanks after some were vandalized.

Gloucestershire Chief Constable Tim Brain said some water tankers were damaged and there had been one case of someone urinating in a water tank.

He warned that bogus callers posing as water company workers may take advantage of the disruption to steal from people's houses.

"People are reminded to carefully check the identity of any caller at their address," a police spokesman said. "We would again urge people to keep an eye out for vulnerable neighbors during this difficult time."

Police charged a 49-year-old over allegations he posed as a fireman to direct emergency services.

The man, from Liverpool, rang the fire brigade's control room and asked for a fire engine to be sent to a flooded street in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

The man, who has not been named, was charged with obstructing or hindering an emergency worker and has been remanded in custody.

The head of the Environment Agency Baroness Young said water bills will have to rise to pay to protect towns and cities from the unpredictable weather.

"Bills are going to have to go up, both because of drought and floods," she said in an interview with Saturday's Daily Telegraph. "You either pay upstream to prevent, or you pay downstream to mop up, but you've got to pay. Climate change is coming home to roost."

The extra money would be spent on protection for water plants and electricity sub-stations and improvements to drainage.

On a visit to Tewkesbury, Conservative leader David Cameron said questions needed to be asked about how to try to prevent such a repeat of such wide scale damage.

"Are we desilting and digging out the ditches and the streams, are we putting in the right flood protection, are we protecting key infrastructure?" he told the BBC. "These things need to be asked and the government needs to give answers."

In the past two months, Britain has experienced the heaviest rainfall since records began in 1766.

At least eight people died during a month of torrential rain. Insurers estimate the damage could cost 3 billion pounds and farmers say crops have been wrecked. E-mail to a friend

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