The Bishop of Oxford visited the flood-stricken areas of west Oxford today. He waded along the flooded Botley Road in wellington boots to talk to householders and members of the emergency services who were monitoring the situation.
The Botley Road is closed to traffic and is under several inches of water. A number of local residents have been evacuated to friends and family or to the emergency accommodation in the Kassam Stadium, while others can only watch and wait as the waters continue to rise.
Bishop John gave interviews to a number of television crews, including the regional ITV and BBC news programmes, Sky News and ITN. There were TV reporters from as far away as Germany and Poland, and press helicopters circling overhead.
Bishop John also visited St Frideswide’s Church, which is surrounded by water but still dry inside – so far - thanks to sandbags. The floor has been cleared in case the waters rise further. A number of churches in the Thames Valley area have been flooded, including Burford in West Oxfordshire and Bucklebury in Berkshire.
Earlier in the week, Bishop John visited the Kassam Stadium to express his sympathy for those who have taken shelter there and his support for the emergency services.
He said: “My deepest sympathy extends to everyone in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire who is caught up in these very difficult circumstances.”
Bishop Stephen and Bishop Colin have also been visiting badly affected communities in their areas.
