SOLDIERS marched into Cookham on Wednesday to help prepare the area in case the flooding gets worse.

The troops put out sandbags on the roads and in front of the homes of the people most vulnerable.

Chairman of Cookham Parish Council, Derek Fry said: “We are prepared in Cookham, for the flood water that was there before plus more if it happens again.

“We have put in place additional measures in the event of more waters coming through the village.

"There is no panic here, everybody is calm, it is just an implementation of additional flood defences.

“Throughout the last few days it’s been contained, over the last two days it has dropped about 18 inches.”

The army set up a temporary information centre from The Kings Arms pub on the High Street.

Deputy manager, Charlotte Harrison, said: “It was very good it gave us all the information we needed and it bought the community together putting us all at ease.”

Despite river levels having dropped, the Army personnel helped residents protect their village and their properties.

Miss Harrison said: “The information centre, set up in one of the rooms at the pub, was good it allowed people to ask any questions and request sandbags.”

As well as putting sandbags in residential areas to protect houses troops also piled sandbags across the B4447, near to the Crown pub, in a bid to stop the floods from reaching the High Street.

Another visitor to Cookham Village this week was Home Secretary and Maidenhead MP, Theresa May.

Mrs May walked across the Causeway into Cookham Village and spoke to Mr Fry.

He said: “The home secretary had a guided walk across the causeway, she indicated to me that if Cookham required further support please get in touch.”

He added: “The Royal Borough have done a wonderful job in supporting us too.”

There has been restricted access in and out of Cookham Village in the last few days as flooding isolated the area.

Access along the Causeway road, which offers the only access to and from the village, has been restricted to only certain times in the day.

Chairman of Cookham Parish Council, Derek Fry, said: “There has been limited times that people can use the road.”

People can only cross the road currently from 9.30am-11.00am, 12.30pm-1.30pm and between 3.30pm-5.00pm.

Mr Fry added: “Holy Trinity School in School Lane is closing early at 2.30pm to allow children and parents time to get around.”

The parish council have also got a new notice board in the village which they are updating every day. The notice board is at the junction of School Lane and the west end of the high street, adjacent to the war memorial.

In addition to this a new bus service has also been put on for locals to temporarily replace the 37 bus route Maidenhead service which bypasses Cookham Village because of the flooding.

Mr Fry said: “The route runs from Cookham station right through to Maidenhead three times a day.”

The ‘People to Places’ bus route goes through Cookham Village, Cookham Station, Lower Road, White Ladies Lane and Maidenhead.

The bus will operate a service from Cookham at 10.00am, 1.00pm and 3.00am and will also make return trips from Maidenhead at 10.50am, 1.50pm and 3.50pm.

The journey takes approximately 35 minutes and operates a service every day except Sundays.