York flood barrier closed, pumps now working

The barrier on the River Foss which was opened on Boxing Day, flooding hundreds of properties in York, has been closed again after emergency repairs by engineers.

A number of pumps at the neighbouring Castle Mills pumping station have also begun operating again, pumping flood water out of the River Foss - at a rate of 7.5cm an hour.

Repairs were carried out yesterday after the army used a Chinook helicopter to airlift equipment onto the Foss barrier.

The Environment Agency has faced criticism for opening the barrier when water threatened to short circuit the electricity supply, but it says rising water levels could have led to a surge flooding 1,800 properties in the city if the barrier had remained closed.