A flood defence system could be put to use later today.

The Leigh Flood Storage Area (LFSA) reduces the risk of flooding to more than 900 homes and 300 business in Tonbridge.

As a result of heavy rainfall, flooding is expected in Little Venice County Park in Yalding, with river levels expected to remain high until Saturday morning.

In a bid to reduce the effect on residents, restrictions on water flow could be put in place.

The River Medway, which is prone to flooding during heavy rainfall, runs through the LFSA, a concrete barrier that controls river flow.

This barrier sits within an earth embankment which runs across the river at Leigh. It's 1.3km and five-metres high.

Three steel gates can be moved to let the river run normally, or restrict it and hold water at the LFSA. This manages the amount of water heading downstream.

The storage area is manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is adjusted according to weather reports and analysis.

Environment officers only close the gates if there is a risk to homes and businesses.

If the water flow is reduced today, the river will begin to spill over the banks into neighbouring fields behind the embankment.

Livestock will be moved out of the area and Ensfield Road will be closed.

To tackle the risk of flooding, incident response staff are also out in the area checking and clearing blockages and debris.

At a Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) policy and resources meeting in September proposals to increase the capacity of the LFSA by 24% were put to councillors.

The plans suggested it would reduce the risk of flooding to an extra 230 homes.

At the meeting, committee members requested more information from the Environment Agency as to how the scheme would impact areas further downstream, such as Marden and Yalding, before giving their support.

MBC has been approached for an update on these plans.

In December 2013, the River Medway experienced the wettest December in more than 100 years.

Families had to be rescued from their flooded homes and roads were closed over Christmas.

According to the EA, if the LFSA had not been in operation at the time, halving the amount of water flowing downstream, the floods could have been a lot worse.

Several roads have closed today due to flooding and Maidstone Borough Council has been handing out sandbags to areas likley to flood.

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