A mid-Essex river is both an unacceptable flood risk and suffers from poor water quality, according to the Environment Agency.

The agency is working on a project to reduce the risk of flooding of the River Brain, which is particularly bad in Braintree and immediately to the south of the town.

The river springs in the countryside north-west of Braintree, flowing through the town and on to Witham, before joining the River Blackwater near Wickham Bishops.

Large amounts of water running off farmland after sudden downpours have caused flooding mayhem along its course on several recent occasions, including in October.

Planned anti-flood measures for the tributary include new weirs, ponds to provide more storage for rainwater, and regulation of the flow of the river.

A site investigation and draft environmental statement on the planned "flood park" site between Braintree and Black Notley have been completed, but construction work has yet to start.

In terms of biological water quality, the River Brain still fails to make the grade.

Pat Ripton, Environment Agency environment protection manager for Essex, thought that Braintree's growth in population was probably having an impact on effluent levels in the river, and that the situation was being exacerbated by siltation on the river bed.

Mr Ripton said the sewage works were being upgraded and equipment installed to remove phosphorus - which encourages harmful algae and weed growth - from the effluent.

But he added: "It will be a while before we see the results assessing it from one year to another is not reliable because of weather changes."

Published Friday December 21, 2001