I WRITE concerning the report (Hereford Times, May 24): If we flood, all Hereford city will be under water.

In recent weeks I have received no less than three letters from this agency which warned me my home was at risk from flooding and stating I should register for the agency's flood warning service.

Having lived in Gladstone Drive in the Moorfields area for the past three years, and prior to that in Attlee Close for five years, I have not been aware of any risk of flooding, and when I moved to this area eight years ago I was not informed of this potential disaster by either surveyors or solicitors.

I have been fully aware that, from time to time, flooding has occurred in the St Martin's area at the Belmont roundabout when the River Wye has burst its banks and flooded the fields, swimming pool and other houses, as well as some flooding in Merton Meadow car park, which apparently comes from some brook which may or may not need cleaning out, but given that I live some distance away from the river, I never thought my property was at risk from flooding any more than being at risk from an earthquake.

Because of these letters and justifiable concerns from my neighbours, I contacted the Environment Agency and mentioned to a member of staff that I was worried, if I should consider moving house in the future, the price of my house could well be affected by these problems of potential flooding.

The person I spoke to was quite sympathetic and, after studying some computerised graph, she told me my home was considered to be at very low risk of flooding and I should not get too worried about it.

I feel sure there must be other worried and concerned elderly people living in Penhaligon Way and the surrounding area who have found these letters quite alarming and distressing: they are being caused unnecessary worry.

Why are we receiving these letters now and not years ago when we bought our properties? What has changed? Is part of the problem climate change? And if some of us can understand what this is all about, I'm damned sure I can't!

I'm sure many of us use our common sense and listen to or watch the weather forecasts so, apart from moving to the top of Aylestone Hill or putting sandbags outside of our doors when we go on holiday, there is little else we can do, is there?

I love living in Hereford and have no plans to move back to the Welsh mountains where I was born because of age and health problems, but I would like to know how widespread this flooding problem is in Hereford.

And I would also like to know what, if anything, can be done by the Environment Agency to protect my home from flooding given that we have no control over the weather.

LEONARD TAYLOR, Gladstone Drive, Hereford.