IN THE week that large swathes of her constituency was left under water, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has been appointed chairman of an all-parties flooding group.

Mrs Morgan was elected chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for flooded communities on Friday.

The appointment comes after heavy rains in the area left much of Wem and Gobowen under water, cancelling trains, and flood warnings for Melverley, Maesbrook and the Severn/Vyrnwy Confluence in Crew Green.

READ MORE: North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan leads Lib Dem debate

Mrs Morgan will now lead the committee of around 30 MPs and Peers where she hopes to ‘bring the spotlight’ to communities who are most affected.

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She said: “It is a timely week to have been elected as chairman of the Flooded Communities APPG, given that this is Flood Action Week.

“Flooding is a problem we see first-hand in Shropshire all the time.

“In fact, many roads were impassable after torrential rain earlier this week. Rural residents bear the brunt of this and deserve much more support.

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“I'm hoping to bring a national spotlight to flooding as a political issue, especially given the complex issues we face in north Shropshire, particularly at the confluence of the Vyrnwy and Severn near Melverley.

“I also wanted to offer a real thank you to all the MPs and Peers from across the parties who came to our very well-attended first meeting of the new Parliament.”

Mrs Morgan has repeatedly called on Ministers to act on the problem, arguing strongly for a plan to manage the Upper Severn Catchment and for the Frequently Flooded Fund eligibility criteria to be expanded.