...oh no, sorry, only joking, admit red-faced officials after 'build snowmen' plea
EMBARRASSED officials have been forced into a U-turn after slipping up on advice to build more snowmen to help stop flooding.
The Environment Agency, in an appeal reminiscent of Lord Kitchener's famous World War One call to action, top, had urged the people of Britain to build an army of snowmen.
Spokesman Roy Stokes suggested extra compacted snow would stagger the thaw and ease flood risk.
He said: "Ideally if everybody built themselves a snowman that would slow the thaw down a bit."
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But yesterday his red-faced colleagues issued a statement backtracking.
"While building snowmen is great fun, sadly it is unlikely to make a significant difference to the rate at which the snow melts across the country and won't protect your home from flooding," it said.
"Compacted snow, including that in snowmen, does melt more slowly.
"Roy is a highly regarded member of staff and this was used as a light-hearted explanation of how snowmelt impacts flood risk.
"But it would take millions of snowmen to make a significant difference."
Our Telegraph readers' army had already been doing their bit, as the pictures on this page show.
From top left, John Fowler, 79, built this well-dressed fella in Chaddesden.
Brothers Joe, left, and Ted Whittaker, 10 and 7, took two hours building this six-foot giant outside their Littleover home, while James Toher-Hindle, 14, built this upside-down snowman in Ilkeston.
A tiny snowman was also pictured enjoying his edition of the Derby Telegraph while Kyle Clarke, 16, of Littleover created this muscular bloke at St George's playing fields.
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