SOUTH Zeal will be playing its part in Exercise Watermark, which will be taking place across the UK over the next week.

Exercises across the country will involve dealing with surface water, river and reservoir failure right through to tidal flooding. 

A community group in South Zeal has developed a flood defence plan which will be used to deploy flood protection measures outside 14 properties in the village in the event of predicted flooding, which has occurred over recent years.

Tonight (Thursday) flood protection measures will be deployed by designated volunteers to see how quickly they can be positioned. 

This is the culmination of months of planning with South Tawton and Sticklepath Parish Council, local residents and West Devon Borough Council, who were instrumental in acquiring the necessary funding for the flood protection measures.