I was interested to read that the Environment Agency (EA) have finally come up with a flooding model for the River Ouse (September 17).

In November 2000 my home, along with many others in York, was inundated. The river reached to within two inches of the top of the flood defences built after the 1982 flood.

With global warming, building on flood plains and changing farming practices upstream, we can expect worse flooding.

Guidelines suggest a one foot margin above the 100-year worst case flood level.

The existing defences do not meet this requirement, but no changes have been made.

The 2000 flood caused £30 million worth of damage between Skeldergate and Ouse bridges. If the barrier at Blue Bridge had failed, thousands of homes and businesses in the Foss basin would have been flooded. A two-inch margin is not enough.

What is the EA waiting for?

Tony Blair came to visit during the flood. Is his support going to amount to anything, or will the EA now sit back and let history repeat itself

Dave Berkeley,

Tower Place,

York.

Updated: 10:38 Thursday, September 19, 2002