YORK is to host Britain's first National Flood Forum - two years after the city was hit by the devastating floods of autumn 2000.

Hundreds of delegates from flood-affected communities across the country will come to the event on October 28 at York Racecourse, which will be addressed by Floods Minister Elliot Morley.

The day before, thousands of vulnerable householders across North Yorkshire will be invited to a Flood Fair at the racecourse, at which dozens of manufacturers will exhibit equipment to help protect their properties.

News of the events came as the Environment Agency launched its Flood Awareness Week, encouraging at-risk householders and businesses to take precautions to defend their properties and possessions from flood damage.

At the same time, Britain's biggest mortgage lender, the Halifax, announced it would continue offering insurance cover to homes in flood-risk areas beyond the end of this year and until at least 2005. The insurer also said its premiums would not increase by more than five per cent a year above annual premium rises for all customers.

Householders have been worried that insurers will withdraw cover at the end of this year and the Halifax is one of the first insurers to make such a pledge to continue giving cover.

The Environment Agency said tourism bosses had been concerned about the choice of York to host the forum. The city lost tourist business after the floods of 2000 because of national media coverage depicting York as a city almost entirely under water.

However, the agency said it viewed York not as a flood victim but as an exemplar for good flood defences, with many thousands of homes saved from inundation in 2000 by flood banks, walls and barriers.

Spokesman Colin Atkinson said people from flood-hit communities, ranging from Shrewsbury to Todmorden, had visited to see how an historic city could be successfully protected.

He said people at 20,000 addresses in North Yorkshire would be informed about the preceding flood fair, which would give them an opportunity to see what could be done to help protect their homes and businesses.

Selby MP John Grogan, visiting the agency's offices at Clifton Moor, urged householders to become more aware of the risks.

He said surveys had shown that only half of people at risk of flooding were aware of it, and of those, only one in ten had done anything about it.

Craig McGarvey, Dales area manager, said people who were unaware if their property was at risk could call 0845 9881188 to find out, simply by giving their postcode. If they were at risk, they could then ask for a free flood pack, full of information and advice on how to help prevent flooding and deal with the consequences if it proved unavoidable.

Updated: 11:42 Tuesday, September 24, 2002