A TOWN fire station needs more equipment to combat future floods an Assembly Member has urged.

During the severe flooding in Radnorshire in mid February, fire crews from Presteigne, Aberystwyth and Welshpool were called upon to help crews based in Knighton, one of the areas worst-affected by the deluge.

Brecon and Radnorshire Assembly Member Kirsty Williams has praised the efforts of the fire service during the floods, but has raised concern that not all local stations, including Knighton, are as equipped as they could be for some of the challenges presented by severe flooding.

Ms Williams says she will work with the fire service to try and ensure stations in Knighton and Crickhowell are boosted with additional wading equipment and training.

In a statement on her Facebook page Ms Williams said: "Many areas across the constituency experienced significant flooding during the recent storms. I arranged a meeting with the Chief Fire Officer of Mid and West Wales last week to praise the crews for their hard work and to raise a number of issues that I have been made aware of.

"The fire stations at Crickhowell and Knighton, two badly flooded areas, are not classed as ‘wading stations’ and therefore officers there did not have the equipment and training that they needed in February to deal with the significant floods.

"Officers went above and beyond their duties to help people but it is clear to me that Crickhowell and Knighton Fire Station need additional wading capability, with the associated additional training and equipment, alongside the existing fire stations across our area who already have this specialism.

"I was assured that this will form part of a future assessment and I will continue to work with Mid and West Wales West Fire and Rescue Service on this matter."