THE London Assembly is stressing the devastation a worst-case scenario flood could cause in London if tidal defences such as the Thames Barrier were down.

It comes after the Thames Barrier has been raised eleven times in the past few weeks with video footage capturing flooding east of Charlton’s landmark on the lower river paths on January 4.

News Shopper: This is the area that may be affected by flooding in a 1 in 1,000 year flood event, if none of the Thames defences, barriers and walls were in place.  It does not reflect the area that would have been affected by the December storm and tidal surge.’

As the capital takes a battering from extreme weather conditions, the London Assembly Environment Committee is seeking assurances from the Mayor of London that sea flood defences are robust for the future.

Environment Committee Chair Murad Qureshi AM said: “My sympathies are with all those people whose lives have been turned upside down by the flooding.

“With weather events of this nature becoming more prevalent, it’s wise and timely to check the effectiveness of the Thames Barrier and look ahead to what will replace it in the future”.

A simulated map was released by the Environment Agency in 2011 showing the devastation flooding could cause without Thames defences in London.

Mr Qureshi added: “The Environment Agency has graphically demonstrated the scenes of devastation that could be visited on London if its flood defences were overwhelmed.

“It requires the immediate application of the kind of long term planning that produced the Barrier, to ensure its adequate replacement”.