RYEDALE was back on flood alert today as furious residents faced another agonising wait to hear if they will be protected from further disaster.

The Environment Agency issued a Flood Watch warning for people to be on their guard after weathermen forecast heavy rain today and tomorrow on the already sodden North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales - up to 45 mms over the two days.

The warning came a day after dozens of stricken householders and business people erupted into angry protests as councillors from across Yorkshire refused to back a proposed 37 per cent hike in their contributions towards flood defences.

Seven local authority representatives on the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee, meeting at York Racecourse, deferred a decision until next Friday - the second time they have shelved a decision on their levy to the committee.

They wanted more time to renew their calls to the Government for more cash support, and also to go back to their councils to see how much more money they might be prepared to give.

But the delay proved too much for people from communities devastated in November's floods, including Malton and Norton, and there were shouts of "Shame!" and "Outrage!"

They said their lives had been turned upside down by the floods, and claimed the councillors had a moral duty to help ensure they did not go through such a nightmare again.

The rowdy and emotional scenes prompted a warning from the committee chairman, Professor Roy Ward, that he might evict all members of the public.

Councillors voted 6-1 in favour of deferral. The exception was North Yorkshire and York council representative Councillor Peter Sowray, who was backing whatever levy increase was needed to pay for defences. "I'm afraid it's a mess," he said, to applause from the public. "I cannot understand why we are deferring it. We are dealing with people's lives."

The extra money is needed to bring forward a flood scheme to protect Malton and Norton from a third disaster, with £400,000 of expenditure proposed next year. But it also emerged that other schemes at Stamford Bridge and Pickering were also at stake - projects costing an estimated £300,000 at Stamford Bridge and £200,000 at Pickering.

Money is also needed to maintain existing defences and pay for better flood forecasting. The committee was warned that failure to provide better forecasts would put people's property and lives at greater risk.

Updated: 10:02 Saturday, February 03, 2001