Outraged Marlovians whose homes were gutted in the crippling 2014 floods have demanded more answers as to why the £8.4m flood defence project they fought so hard for may not materialise until 2018.

Residents have been left in despair after potential flaws discovered in the current plans may push the Environment Agency's scheme back two years, leaving them another two winters without flood defences.

Jan and Ron McEvoy, who live on Pound Lane, launched a ‘Fight the Floods’ campaign with their daughters to get funding for the project after they were forced out of their wrecked home for six months following the devastation in 2014.

However the family now fear the disastrous scenes could be repeated and the millions of pounds set aside for the project will be drained on fresh plans.

Mr McEvoy said: “I am absolutely appalled. 12 years ago we watched the surveyors come in but since then no one has even put a spade in the ground. We have seen nothing happen.

“It is just completely scandalous. The money is being eroded away. As inflation increases the money is going to decrease and then there won’t be enough to complete the scheme.

“And no one has even bothered to tell the people that were flooded what is going on.”

After criticising the effectiveness of the current scheme the Marlow Society demanded a meeting with The Environment Agency to shed more light on the project - where it was admitted the compensatory storage lakes could be unnecessary and a new application may have to be submitted to Bucks County Council.

The couples daughter, Wendy McEvoy said: “It is absolutely outrageous. After we fought so hard to get funding for the scheme and Dominic Grieve had a lot of input and where are we now? What has been done?"

The Environment Agency has insisted it has kept Marlovians in the loop about the project’s progression, and the scheme could still go ahead next year.

A spokesman, Elisa Orchard, said: “Currently the latest information on the scheme is available on Marlow Town Council’s website. We plan to engage directly again with residents following the review.

“The scheme is funded as it currently stands. There is minimal cost implication of the review as we are using modelling that is being undertaken to develop other schemes on the lower part of the Thames.

“If there is a change to the compensatory storage area, this will most likely provide a cost saving to the scheme.”