Council has sandbags ready to hand out for Mountmellick flood

Sandbags are being offered for collection in Mountmellick this Sunday as the town remains on watch for a flood.

Laois County Council says that the river is back below flood level in the town but the risk is not yet over.

Edmond Kenny is senior engineer for the Municipal District.

"Obviously there's been a lot of rain. We are monitoring the gauge on the river. It is back below the flood level. It reduced slightly and then went up again. We are hoping it is at a plateau now. The rate of increase has slowed.

"We will know a lot more over the next two hours," Mr Kenny said.

Nobody had to be evacuated he confirmed.

"We have left sandbags at vulnerable areas, in Irishtown and Manor Road, and they are in our depot in the Bay Road," he said.

"We have crews on the ground continuing to monitor the situation," he said.