RIVER Thames weir and lockkeepers are preparing to ballot for strike action over increasing flooding risks linked to understaffing of the system.

The GMB union said “budget-driven decisions” are “putting people and property at risk” in a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Workers managing multiple weirs are being denied required one or two-day rest periods between shifts as climate change drives an increase in severe weather and flooding.

GMB national officer Kevin Brandstatter said: “There are only 52 staff doing the work of more than 100 — they simply cannot do the work needed in a safe way. 

“GMB members have bent over backwards to keep their communities safe from flooding, which is not only a threat to property but to life.   

“Their message to Defra is clear: staffing levels are too low and threaten the health and safety of workers and the public.”

The Environment Agency said that the safety of keepers and river users “is a top priority.”