Mitford Road was hit by the deluge last September and many people living there had to move into temporary accommodation.

A meeting was held at Morpeth Rugby Club by the Environment Agency to discuss the flood alleviation options it is looking at for the area and more than 40 people attended.

Residents appreciated getting the chance to talk about what they agreed with and their concerns, but water expert Geoff Parkin said it was important that surface water and drainage problems are also on the agenda.

The Senior Lecturer in Hydrology at Newcastle University said: "It was a valuable meeting as it gave people the chance to put across their views to the Environment Agency.

"Mitford Road is in a unique situation because the flood defences being examined would go through personal property.

"But before we can make an informed decision, I believe we need more details about the plans and how a system of flood walls and/or upstream storage would integrate with the issue of surface water and drainage.

"We need this joined up thinking because in Mitford Road the evidence was that flooding happened initially from the road side before it came from the river side as well and Middle Greens was flooded before the river water came."

He believes this approach means future meetings with residents will need representatives from the Environment Agency, and the organisations responsible for surface water and drainage — Northumberland County Council and Northumbrian Water — to be present.

"Questions have to be flagged up now so that the public clearly know what actions are being proposed to prevent all types of flooding and who will be responsible for making it happen," said Dr Parkin.

"The issue of surface water is a grey area nationally, but it's vital that we get it sorted in Morpeth."

Ian and Ann Bell have recently returned to their Mitford Road home which was flooded on September 6.

Mr Bell said: "It was a useful meeting and I think it was helpful that it was organised on an informal basis.

"There is a bit of a North-South divide over the proposals, depending which side of the road you live on.

"Some of the people whose homes back onto the river are not very keen on having their gardens messed about by flood defences, which is understandable, but those whose properties back onto the school, like us, are generally in favour of the plans.

"Anything which stops water getting into our house again would be a good idea as far as we are concerned.

"Some of those who attended the meeting were very animated about it, but I thought the Agency handled it very well and they showed photographs of flood walls in other parts of the country.

"Originally I think a lot of people thought they were going to have a sort of 'Berlin Wall' at the bottom of their garden, but I don't think it would be nearly as bad as they thought it might be.