Prince Charles visits flood victims

The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall met businesspeople and members of the public in the Worcestershire town that was cut off at the height of the flooding.

Hundreds of locals turned out in sunny weather to see the royal couple chat with residents in a street still partly underwater, and stop for a drink at a nearby pub.

John Fisher, whose house on New Street was knee-deep in water earlier this week, said: "Anything to help the struggle we're having is good news, and hopefully with his connections he might get them to look at flood barriers for New Street."

His neighbour Jenny Gibbons said: "He asked me how the flood had affected me. I had to climb out of my first floor window to get away from the water.

"It's good that he came, and I think it's nice he came down our street, because David Cameron came to Upton and he didn't come down here."

The swollen waters of the River Severn are beginning to subside enough to allow the clear-up operation to begin, and parts of Upton are still underwater.

After inspecting flood-damaged homes, the Prince and Duchess visited a cafe, taking away some home-made chocolate cake.

The shop owner, John Hutchinson, joked that he was thinking of putting a "by royal appointment" sign over the door.

At Ye Olde Anchor pub, where the 400-year-old main bar remains littered with grime and debris from the flooding, the Prince drank a glass of stout and chatted to landlord Jonathan Butler about locally sourced food.

The pub underwent refurbishment shortly before the floodwaters came, and the management staged a street party on Sunday to keep spirits up while the main bar was underwater.

Six-year-old Charlie Harding, whose mother Kate jointly runs the Anchor, asked Prince Charles if he had a sword and shield.

The Prince replied: "I left them in the helicopter, but I did slay a dragon this morning."

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