Had authorities been pre-warned about York flood defence problems?

The Prime Minister and the Environment Agency have been forced to answer more difficult questions today over the devastation caused by flooding in York over Christmas.

As the city continues to mop up after Storm Eva, new revelations have come to light that York's Foss Barrier had already been identified years ago as a potential weak point in its flood defences.

The Foss Barrier failed after its pumps were overwhelmed by the river levels.

Reports now suggest that authorities had already been warned that it was not fit for purpose.

Today, the Prime Minister faced a grilling on the subject by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn:

Also appearing in the House of Commons today was the deputy chief executive of the Environment Agency, David Rooke.

He appeared before a committee of MPs, and was asked to explain why the fateful decision to open the Foss barriers, leading to widespread flooding, was taken shortly after Christmas: