THE owners of the historic Cornmill at Stamford Bridge have spoken of their fears for its future unless it wins protection from another flooding disaster.

Helen and Mike Driscoll revealed that they can no longer get insurance against flooding at the pub and restaurant, which was inundated in both 1999 and last year's floods.

That will leave them facing a massive and ruinous personal bill if the River Derwent once again bursts its banks.

"The last two floods cost £300,000," said Mr Driscoll, who had no idea of the flood risks when he bought the Cornmill just over three years ago.

The licensees say they were shocked when they discovered earlier this year that the Environment Agency planned to leave them out of its proposed £1 million flood defence scheme for the village.

Then they discovered that the project would actually worsen the risks for unprotected properties such as the pub, with floodwater levels rising by several inches because of the dispersal effects of the flood banks elsewhere.

Villagers said at a public meeting recently that they wanted all properties in the town to be protected.

The agency announced subsequently that it was going to look again at whether it could protect three properties left out of the current scheme - the Cornmill, the Weir Caravan Park and Jo Barry's shop and home.

But the Driscolls fear this will just prove a paper exercise, and the agency will decide it is not economic to protect their property - particularly if work starts on proposed flood banks at the nearby Shallows.

They share the concerns of parish council chairwoman Hilary Saynor that once that scheme has begun, it will be considered impossible to defend the Cornmill as well. They would like The Shallows scheme to be amended to include the pub.

They say that if it proved impossible to continue running the pub, the whole village would lose out. The building would quickly begin to deteriorate if it was not maintained.

"This is part of the village's history. It's a Grade II listed building - the only one in the village - and yet it's the one that's not being protected," said Mr Driscoll.

An agency spokeswoman said it was still examining whether properties such as the Cornmill could be defended.

Updated: 09:56 Thursday, January 03, 2002