THE mother of a teenager who drowned in a flooded culvert has urged council chiefs not to cut their flood defence budget.

Kate Weeden spoke after West Oxfordshire District Council moved to axe a post whose role includes inspecting private culverts and drains to ensure they are safe.

Her son, Max Sullivan-Webb, also known as Max Weeden, died in five feet of water when his foot became stuck in a flooded culvert off Eastfield Road in 2008.

A grille was then installed over the culvert by the landowner on council advice.

Mrs Weeden, 42, of Oxford Hill, Witney, said: “They surely cannot cut this because it is so important, especially after what has happened.

“The guy who owned the land where Max died did something straight away, but not all are that responsible.

“The council has got to make sure that there’s someone there so that it doesn’t happened again.

“We would like to be reassured that there is enough cover if this person does leave.”

The council is bidding to slash the flood work budget from £177,200 this year to £120,800 next year by axeing one job from the flood projects team, which currently has three-and-a-half full-time posts.

Conservative council leader Barry Norton said one staff member was taken on after the town’s 2007 floods on a temporary basis.

He said many breaches had already been spotted and put right.

Mr Norton said: “We are doing everything we possibly can to alleviate future risks of flooding.”

The council is looking to slash the revenue budget from £11.4m this year to £10.9m next year, though this could fall again to £10.6m.

He said: “We have always run a very tight ship and we do everything we can to protect front line services.”

Plans are “a realistic combination of efficiency savings and trimming of costs, without significant reductions in services or staff” he said.

He did not expect any compulsory redundancies, but some posts would not be replaced.

Mill Street resident Mike French, 67, said: “I think they should look elsewhere to make the cuts. It is an important service because we need to be prepared.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen around the corner, but we should have the team ready for it.”

Philip Hillman, 81, of Woodford Mill, who lost everything in the 2007 floods and had to leave home for six months, said: “I don’t think it is one person, it is whether the team can continue and are not being restricted by lack of money.”

Richard Andrews, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “West Oxfordshire District Council needs to ensure local watercourses and ditches are properly maintained in the future, and Lib Dems will want to be sure that adequate staff are retained to do this.”

The draft budget will go through a series of council hearings before final approval on February 23.