Council spends £49.50 on ‘posh sandbags’ to keep floodwater out of historic Shropshire building

A council is ‘investigating’ the use of ‘posh sandbags’ to prevent floodwater from causing damage at an historic building in Newport.

A councillor spotted in a list of payments that Newport Town Council had spent £49.50 buying “flood barrier snakes” from Amazon.

Council officials had also spent £27.49 on laminating pouches, £10.91 on Velcro sticky tape and £5.59 on sugar for the Guildhall.

Members of the full council asked what the ‘snakes’ were.

Jo Reay, town clerk, said: “Sandbags are not a good idea at all.

“We are investigating the how to stop water coming in to The Guildhall. We’re trying out the snakes that lie flat and expand in water.”

Councillor Heather Brennan (East Ward) said: “Oh, posh sandbags.”

Members approved the latest list of council payments, which totalled £48,027.

The largest amounts were two payments totalling £33,543 to KRM Contractors for building and planning matters.

The council has also paid £120 to a pest control company to clear moles from allotments.