Environment Agency defends decision to open York flood barriers

Householders in York whose homes were flooded on Boxing Day are facing a miserable start to 2016.

Skips line the streets by the River Foss containing flood-damaged furniture, carpets and electrical appliances.

Meanwhile the head of the Environment Agency has defended the decision to open the flood barrier in the city which led to five to six hundred properties being swamped - an action which is leading to growing anger among flood victims.

The River Foss flood barrier is designed to protect huge tracts of the ancient city of York.

But when it came to the crunch, the Environment Agency said it was left with no choice but to open the River Foss flood barrier - and York paid a very heavy price.

For 500 households the consequences were dire.

The Foss barrier was built in 1987 after extensive flooding five years earlier.

It's meant to separate the city's two rivers and stop water flowing from the much bigger Ouse into the Foss.

But the evening of Boxing day - even though water levels were below previous records where the barrier had worked the Environment Agency took the decision to open the barrier.

But that explanation is of little consolation to locals like Chas Burns. His fishing business is reduced to bin bags.

Cleaning up drying out and returning to normality will take months in York. The Government's pledged £10m to fix the flood barrier.

Some money will have to be spent ensuring that the pumping station's electrics can't be threatened by floods in the future.

But for now for many here trust in the existing flood defences is in short supply.