A FLOOD expert for Worcestershire has announced his retirement from the role of Environmental Agency manager.

Dave Throup has been in the role for 22 years and has been so popular he even had a fan club set up in his honour after the serious floods of 2014 saw him pop up in the news.

He will retire from his long career on December 31, 2021.

The announcement was made on Dave’s official twitter account, and quickly gained nearly 1,000 likes, comments and retweets from locals across the county sharing their thanks.

In response to the widespread support and appreciation, Dave said: “I want to thank the very good people of Worcestershire, it has been a blast but it’s time to hang up the yellow jacket.

“It has been very humbling to see everyone’s kind messages, which can be a bit tough to read at times, but I am very thankful for everyone who liked and commented.

“Throughout my career, I have just done the job and remained passionate about the environment, preventing flooding and climate change, it is really nice to see that all recognised.”

Dave went on to say how rewarding the job has been over the years, even at the very toughest of times.

He added, “I have enjoyed every minute, it's one of the best jobs you could ever wish for.

“It can be extremely rewarding and the progress we have made on flood defences along the River Severn in the last 20 years has been magnificent, with the numbers of homes that are protected now in the last 20 years ago rising incredibly.

"It is stressful and you are dealing with dangerous situations, plus it is heartbreaking seeing people who are affected by flooding.

“Although managing it can be stressful, it is not even close to being as stressful as those affected by the flooding, which I have always kept in mind over the years, so anything we can do to manage or prevent that can be extremely rewarding.”

Kidderminster Shuttle: Environmental Agency manager, Dave Throup, looking over the river Severn in Worcester.Environmental Agency manager, Dave Throup, looking over the river Severn in Worcester.

Dave attributes his positivity in the face of difficult times to keeping focused on all the good work the Environmental Agency has completed over the years.

He said: “The huge advances we have made in being able to warn people of oncoming threats and protect them is what it is all about, and really has kept me going over the years.

“We are never going to remove all risks, but we can make it certainly less dangerous and stressful.

“With climate change and what the future looks like, we are going to need to keep improving.”

Dave also fondly remembered the time when two fan clubs dedicated to him were established on Twitter and Facebook during 2014, when flooding across Herefordshire and Worcestershire was drastically affecting the two counties.

Dave said: “It was a remarkable time that came totally out of the blue for me.

“It is nice to have the work the environmental agency and other responders do recognised, I just became the focus, which was very surreal.

“I was even being asked for autographs on Worcester bridge!”

As Dave approaches his retirement, he mentioned two things which he was desperate to dedicate more time to.

He added, “Travel is the main thing I want to do in the near future.

“My wife and I have not been able to travel much in our careers, so now we are both retired we want to hopefully find more time to get out and see the world.

“Covid will make that a tad more difficult for now but soon we hope to travel more.

“I also love cycling so I plan to get out and cycle more and continue my hobby of moth trapping.”

A successor to Dave’s position as Environment Agency manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire is yet to be announced.