RESCUE workers were scrambled into torrid flood waters following reports that a man had "disappeared" into the River Ouse.

Firefighters combed an area of the river near Skeldergate Bridge in York using their search and rescue boat after they were alerted by North Yorkshire Police shortly before 5pm yesterday.

The search followed a day of misery on York, North and East Yorkshire's roads, with the A19 at Fulford Interchange having been closed during both rush hours and motorists facing a day of gridlock.

Officers had received reports of a man wading in the badly flooded Tower Gardens area, next to the bridge.

A North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said: "The police received a call from someone who said they had seen a man wading in the area and he had then disappeared, but we have not found anyone.

"The water is flowing so quickly that if someone had fallen into the main river they could be as far away as Naburn by now."

The search was called off after about an hour after investigators failed to find anyone.

One of York's busiest commuter routes which was deluged by high water could be flood-free by 2011.

Developers behind the huge Germany Beck housing scheme have revealed they hope to start work on raising the level of the A19 above flood level within two years.

Work will then take several months to complete.

The news comes as flood waters caused traffic chaos for thousands of commuters yesterday, with tailbacks springing up across the city. Authorities were forced to close the deluged A19 in both directions at Fulford, causing huge delays for rush hour motorists.

The road was shut between the A64 and the Fordlands Road junction in Fulford, causing a build up of traffic on the A64 approaching the Grimston Bar interchange.

Both Tadcaster Road and Hull Road, from Dunnington, became gridlocked as commuters tried to avoid the blocked junction.

Huge queues also formed on the A19 from Selby and drivers on the A1237 outer ring road faced major delays as drivers tried to avoid the A19. Elsewh- ere, Skeldergate between the Terry Avenue junction and the B1227 Micklegate junction in York were closed.

Numerous roads in North and East Yorkshire remained closed yesterday and the rivers Swale and Ure burst their banks in the Boroughbridge and Ripon areas.

Bosses at Persimmon Homes, the developer behind Germany Beck, say that raising the road could consign this week's flood-stricken scenes to the past and spare frustrated motorists using the A19 from future traffic chaos.

A City of York Council spokeswoman, said the A19 between Fordlands Road and Landing Lane would be raised as part of the 700-home scheme on Germany Beck, off Heslington Lane, Fulford.

"Had this work already been carried out, the A19 would have remained open over the last few days."

Andrew Demain, managing director for Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, vowed the company would "not drag our heels" on the improvements once planning consent was secured.

The housing scheme has outline planning permission, and work is now under way on preparing a full application, yet to be lodged with City of York council.

The proposal is to create a junction and access road to the site and raise part of the A19, all above flood level.

"The Germany Beck scheme will raise the A19 by about one-and-a-half metres so that dip in the road will pretty much go," said Mr Demain.

"We are keen to move it forward. We will liaise with City of York Council. It is not appropriate to second guess their time scale, but we would anticipate work starting within two years.

"The road is the first thing that has to be done so we won't drag our heels on it. It will take a number of months to do."

However Christine Dinsdale, a local opponent to the Germany Beck scheme, said she remained unconvinced.

She said: "The flooding shows the site is simply not suitable for such a large development.

"Fordlands Road is closed leaving the 300 residents who live here without a way to get to and from their homes. Children cannot get to school, one of my friends cannot get to the GP, and I had to wade through the water to get my heart tablets from the chemist.

"It's a disgrace. What about when another 700 people move into the area and there is more flooding? This development should never have gone ahead.

"Building 700 new homes next to flood plains seems madness."

* More aerial pictures of the flooding in tomorrow's The Press


Village concern after another deluge

AN evacuation of residents as the waters rose this week was staved off in one of North Yorkshire's most flood-threatened communities - but they still worry about what the future holds.

People living in Naburn were told to be prepared to leave their homes on Tuesday evening as a severe flood warning was sent out for the area and the main road through the village was submerged.

Thankfully for residents, it did not come to that as levels in the River Ouse receded, although both the B1222 and the A19 at Fulford remained closed and covered in water yesterday morning.

Naburn parish council clerk Jenny Balding said: "We didn't have to evacuate our homes. It is a relief, but I'm disappointed with the Environment Agency's warning system. They seemed to leave it until the last minute to tell us what might happen and that meant people became more agitated.

"This just proves the need for better flood defences in the Naburn area.

"Whatever needs to be done, however, is going to be extremely expensive and we are not sure there is a lot of interest in a small community like ours."


:: Video report from Germany Beck

:: David Dunning reports on the level of flooding in the Shipton area of York

:: Aerial footage showing some of the flooded areas of York