HEAVY rain left Sidmouth looking more like a river once again on Wednesday – and the flooding has been blamed on a culvert protection measure.

Yet more problems in Woolbrook Road this week prompted highways chiefs into action immediately.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, county cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “The cause of this was due to a grid, that the county council recently installed to stop large tree stumps going down the culvert, which was blocked with hedge parings.

“We have removed the grid and will be looking into installing a different type, a much larger grid, to stop a repeat of Wednesday’s flooding, but equally to stop tree stumps, etc, going down the culvert and causing more long term issues.”