A delegation of York flood victims have returned from Westminster cautiously optimistic that action will be taken to prevent a repeat of the disaster.

Parish councillors and residents from Rawcliffe - where 50 people are still unable to return to their homes - yesterday met Government Minster Elliot Morley to press for new measures to protect the area.

They wanted repairs to flood banks which suffered during last autumn's deluge, a higher priority to be given to Rawcliffe by disaster planners and a shake-up of the way anti-flood measures are funded.

Parish council chairman Richard Moore said: "It was an encouraging meeting but we must wait for his official written response to see what we have achieved.

"The concerns of the people of Rawcliffe have been noted."

Roger Green, who was flooded out of his house in Howard Drive six months ago this week and has since lived in a hotel and on his daughter's floor, said the minister seemed sympathetic and said he would look into the issues raised.

Mr Green said a permanent pumping station was needed at Blue Beck.

Meanwhile, sandbags laid in haste six months ago, as the swollen Ouse threatened to overwhelm flood barriers protecting hundreds of homes in the Leeman Road area, are finally being removed by the Environment Agency.

The thousands of sandbags - laid along the top of the earthen flood embankments - were left out throughout the winter in case the river rose once again to dangerous levels. An agency spokeswoman said the bags were now being removed because they had been deteriorating and might no longer be effective. They were also making the area untidy.

The agency also needed to inspect what condition the banks were in below the bags, and carry out repairs such as re-seeding of the embankments.

"We have contingency plans in place in the event of a further flooding threat."

Updated: 11:04 Tuesday, May 01, 2001