Two new reports from the Environment Agency today show that one in six homes in England are at risk of flooding and that investment in the building and maintaining of flood defences will need to almost double to £1bn a year by 2035, as climate change increases the risk of coastal erosion and flooding from rivers and the sea.

In its Flooding in England report, the organisation has revealed that over 430,000 people in flood risk areas have now signed up to its flood warnings service and is urging those who are not yet subscribed to join. The free service provides vital early warning by SMS, telephone or email, helping to save the lives of those at risk of flooding.

Also publishing a Long Term Investment Strategy for England, the Government's environmental watchdog says that a steady increase in investment will be vital to maintain current levels of protection against rising seas levels, more rapid rates of coastal erosion, and increasingly severe and frequent rainstorms due to climate change.