West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today toured Upton-upon-Severn to show her support for traders in the town. The town is fully open for business with traffic able to enter the town from Tunnel Hill. The MP did some last minute Valentine's Day shopping and met with shopkeepers to show her support for the town. Harriett walked through the town with Upton Trade and Tourism chair Annette Keyworth and met Upton’s mayor Peter Webb. Harriett was distributing information about Government support for small businesses including a £1000 rate discount. The MP also met with soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment who are assisting the local community facing up to floods across the area. Harriett commented: “I was keen to share the message that despite certain road closures, Upton is fully open for business. “The flood defences have helped and ensured that businesses are able to trade. However, there have been mixed messages in the media suggesting Upton was not accessible so I decided to travel to the town and show solidarity for the local shopkeepers. “I have been asking people about their experiences of this year's floods and I have got some useful suggestions about how we can better protect the business of the town in coming years. “Both the Hanley Road and Ryall Road need to be assessed for improvements but right now I was keen to make sure that Upton is still accessible and open.” Photo: (l-r) Rosemary Webb, Peter Webb, Kate Clark, Harriett Baldwin MP.