How we source our facts

Official sources first

Facts on Drystead come from the bodies responsible for them: GOV.UK and the Environment Agency, SEPA, Natural Resources Wales, DfI Rivers and NI Direct, Flood Re, CIRIA, BSI, National Gas and Electrical Safety First. Each page lists its sources at the bottom.

Dated, and quoted

For every fact we keep the exact words from the source and the date we read them. Pages show "Checked" with that date. If a source hasn't been checked yet, the page says "awaiting check", and it isn't published until it has been.

What we never do

• Invent figures, prices, quotes or studies.
• Copy the official flood-risk maps. We link to them instead.
• Show prices, unless they come from an official retailer feed, with the date.
• Claim we've tested a product.

Where the nations differ

Flood warnings, risk maps and some rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We say so where it matters.