If homeowners in some of the worst-hit areas of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire had looked skywards at around breakfast time yesterday, they may have seen the helicopter containing the Prime Minister.

At 7.15am Gordon Brown took an airborne tour of the brown patchwork of towns and villages before visiting the police co-ordination centre. It was as close as he got to the misery faced by thousands of people after the swollen rivers Severn and Avon laid waste to much of the two counties.

In Upton upon Severn, the small Worcestershire town into which all four roads are cut off by fast-moving waters, residents felt that his trip was simply a public relations exercise.

Karl Hooton, 40, who helped in the rescues over the weekend, said: “He should have got out into the streets and visited the people who are suffering. He should have asked them what they wanted and needed. He can look down at the water from on high, but he doesn’t know how deep it is or how fast flowing it is. He can’t see what’s happening to people’s homes.”

Richard Myers, 51, a member of the Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue, said: “He really should have visited us. He could have landed here with ease. A helicopter landed at the school yesterday to deliver medical supplies.”

Rodney Miles, 56, added: “It would have been good of him to talk to those who have been involved in the rescue out in the water, or residents who have been affected.”

The Severn burst its banks at Upton on Friday night, devastating the town’s weekend blues festival. Many of the pubs, now under 6ft (1.8m) of water, had been refurbished for the event. Some of those who did turn up brought caravans which were then swept away.

Residents are angered that Environment Agency flood barriers, which were meant to arrive on Friday, got stuck on the M5. However, it is generally accepted that they probably could not have held back the rising waters.

Tim Brain, Chief Constable of Gloucestershire, said that he had taken the decision that Mr Brown should not visit Gloucester and the surrounding areas because routes from the police base were impassable. “I advised him,” he said. “The closest place he could visit was Gloucester city centre. It was my professional advice that we couldn’t have the Prime Minister stuck on a flooded road.”

Parmjit Dhanda, the Labour MP for Gloucester, believed that Mr Brown’s visit offered hope to those whose homes have been wrecked.

The Prime Minister said that a review of the flooding would focus on drainage and how the infrastructure could be protected against more rain. But the priority was to help the most vulnerable and worst affected. He said: “We have got to meet the longer-term challenges and we have set up a review into what’s happening both with climate change and the effect of that on the services and what is happening here.

“I want to give support and sympathy to all those who have suffered as a result of the floods, to all those who have been displaced, to those who have had operations cancelled in hospitals, to all those worried about what might happen in the future. I want to say that the emergency services are doing an absolutely wonderful job.”

Peter Bungard, chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council, will write to Mr Brown to ensure that the authority could keep up the rescue and clean-up efforts. “He’s a busy man,” he said. “I’m grateful that he fitted us in. He was in listening mode. He took notes and appeared to really want to know what was happening.”

Meanwhile, in the high street in Upton upon Severn a cheer went up when one lorry driver managed to drive through the floods to deliver milk and bread to the local shop.

Protecting your home

To find out if you ar at risk of flooding, call the Floodline on 0845 9881188 or visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ subjects/flood

If you are

— Put plugs in sinks and weigh down with something heavy

— Place a sandbag in toilet bowl and block washing machine drain

— Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies at the mains

— Disconnect cookers and washing machines from rigid pipes

— Smear silicone sealant around window and door frames. Then close and lock

— Cover doors, windows and airbricks with plywood or sandbags

— Move furniture and electrical items upstairs, or place on bricks

— Weigh down or tie immovable furniture to stop it floating

Afterwards

— Call insurance company helpline

— Keep a record of the flood damage with photos and videos

— Commission immediate emergency pumping/repair work

— Open doors and windows

— Get power supplies checked before turning them on

— Wash taps and run them for a few minutes before use

And in future

— Use waterproof sealant on exterior walls

— Use water-resistant paint for internal ground floor decoration

— Seal cracks in walls

— Paint skirting boards of both sides before fitting

— Tile and seal the ground floor properly

— Solid flooring is more resistent to flood damage than boards

— Choose rugs rather than fitted carpet on ground floor

— Buy airbricks with removable covers

— Install anti-backflow valves to drains and sewers

— Place boilers and hot water cylinders in loft or first floor

Source: Environment Agency