North Yorkshire flood victims are sending special bottles of "Chateau Derwent" to regional council leaders in their bid to secure funding for new flood defences.

Fourteen bottles of water from the river which inundated homes and businesses in the November disaster have been prepared at Malton soft drinks business Tate Smith Ltd, which was itself hit by flooding.

And the "message in a bottle" is being posted to 13 of the leaders of 14 local authorities who will on Friday decide whether to fund a 37 per cent increase in their levy to the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee. Without such an increase, hopes of fast-tracking a £4 million defence scheme for Malton and Norton could be scuppered.

The symbolic gesture was being made as Ryedale remained on Flood Watch today following further rainfall.

Chateau Derwent is described on the label as: "A potent little number liable to sweep through homes and businesses bringing with it generous lashings of sewage and silt."

The label adds: "Regional Variety: Likes to roam at will in areas without flood defences. Thrives on negligence. Serving: Do not consume under any circumstances."

One of the bottles was being handed over this lunchtime by factory owner Paul Tate Smith and flood victim Di Keal to Coun Patrick Doyle, leader of Hull City Council.

Di, from the residents association serving Malton, Norton and Old Malton, said: "Funding the defences would add less than 10p a week to council tax - so little to ask to end the misery.

"We have already been hit twice in less than two years and without protection being put in place it is only a matter of time before a third major flood.

"We are saying to council leaders that they must make sure their representatives face up to their responsibility for the region and vote through the funding that is so badly needed.

"These councillors have had millions spent on defences in their areas - and are refusing to honour their debt to people from towns like ours who paid for them."

Meanwhile, Ryedale councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate Keith Orrell is urging Ryedale District Council to lend money for the defences if this Friday's flood committee fails to come up with the necessary funding.

Updated: 11:10 Tuesday, February 06, 2001