IN these days of global warming and torrential rain storms, we should all come together and make serious efforts to control the level of the River Tees behind the barrage.

Heavy rain storms could flood Darlington town centre, Croft, Stapleton, Yarm and many other places.

The Skerne is the major tributary of the Tees. Control the level of the Skerne and you stand a chance of controlling the level of the Tees.

The Skerne rises at Fishburn and flows down by the A1 at Bradbury across ancient meadows towards Darlington. The Romans flooded these meadows. The meadows are still there.

A watergate in the Skerne at this point could be used to flood these meadows again by holding back the river water.

Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington and North Yorkshire County Council could all come together and buy these meadows to hold back the river Skerne at times of crisis.

Isn't the level of the Tees beyond the barrier going to be a concern during exceptional high tides?

I urge all of these local authorities to at least consider having sandbags available and a team of workers to deploy in an emergency for the purpose of creating a temporary blockage in the River Skerne by the A1 at Bradbury.

Controlling the Skerne could save many hundreds of millions of pounds in damage to property in the future. Some of the torrential rainstorms we have seen in recent years surely require it don't they?

Nigel Boddy, Darlington.