COUNTY councillors are to hold their own investigation into the summer floods, amid mounting anger at the lack of measures to reduce the risk of further devastation.

The Environment Agency, Thames Water and landowners will be invited to take part in the flood review, which promises "to hold the decision-makers to account for their action, or inaction, on behalf of concerned local residents".

The investigation has been set up by county councillors on the environment and economy scrutiny committee.

Councillors and council officers from across the county will also be invited to contribute, along with residents' associations and affected businesses, Councillor Colin Lamont, whose Sutton Courtenay and Harwell area was also affected by flooding, will lead the review on behalf of the watchdog committee.

He said: "People realise that weather patterns like this are likely to occur again. Quite understandably they want to know what can be done to minimise the worst of the problems. We, therefore, have a duty to look into how best to ensure improved flood resilience for our communities.

"As a scrutiny committee we have a responsibility to examine the proposals that the various agencies, including the councils, put forward. We wish to assess such plans in terms of their likely effectiveness and value for money and generally hold the decision-makers to account for their action, or inaction, on behalf of local residents."

The review group will consist of Mr Lamont and county councillors Anne Purse, Patrick Greene and Charles Mathew.

They will conduct research and visits before a series of hearings expected to start later in the year and continue into the late spring of 2008.

The inquiry follows news that the leaders of six Oxfordshire councils had written to the Government expressing fears that key county schemes would not make it on to the Environment Agency's priority list.

Meanwhile, city councillor for Osney and Jericho, Susanna Pressel, pictured, mounted a fierce attack on the lack of action taken by the city council's own officers.

She said: "Local residents have been urging the city council to take action to reduce the risk of future flooding in various parts of the city, especially the Botley Road area. A few gullies have been pumped out, which is routine at this time of the year, but apart from that, nothing else seems to have been done. It's now three-and-a-half months since the floods. We could have more floods at any time.

"Almost the only thing our officers seem to have done so far to reduce the risk of future flooding is to mull over a list of 66 suggestions, all of which came from local residents. This is not good enough."

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "The Environment Agency is working in partnership with Oxford City Council on some of the 12 priorities they have on their list."

Meanwhile, residents were told to treat with caution reports that millions of pounds of European money could be on the way to areas affected by flooding.

A share of £112m could be made available to councils who make successful bids, it was reported this week.

But the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Keith Mitchell, said: "Following our disappointment that Gordon Brown's promise to fund our flooding costs in full were meaningless and have left Oxfordshire councils with a £3.3m bill, any prospect of financial support from Europe is very welcome.

"I hope we may be forgiven some scepticism, however, if we approach bidding for some of the £112m of European cash with caution.

"It is not clear whether it is to cover what we spent in saving life, limb and property and which the Government will not refund, or whether it is available to fund relief schemes."