The policemen outside 10 Downing Street must have seen it all. But even they were a bit bemused when a bedraggled troop of protesters marched up and tried to present them with a sandbag.

It was raining steadily when the battle-bus of floods campaigners from Ryedale arrived outside the heavy wrought-iron gates that bar the entrance to Downing Street at 2.30pm.

There, most of them had to remain but police allowed a small group through to the steps of Number 10 itself, sandbag in hand and journalists in tow.

After a brief photocall in the pouring rain, the discreet black door of the Prime Minister's residence opened and protest organiser Di Keal presented a portfolio of photographs showing the floods damage to homes in Ryedale to a bemused official inside.

"We have come from Malton and Norton where we have been flooded two times in two years," she informed him. "We would like to hand over this petition to show Mr Blair what's happening. I hope he will read it."

The official didn't blink. "I am sure he will," he replied gravely.

The door closed again and the little troop moved off, ready for their next encounter, with Agriculture Minister Elliot Morley in his headquarters at MAFF just down the road.

It was a day many of the floods campaigners will never forget.

The battle-bus left Malton just before 7am with almost 50 people on board and arrived at Millbank, next to the Palace of Westminster, just before 12.30pm.

From there, campaigners marched on Downing Street before being given a whistlestop tour of the Houses of Parliament by Ryedale MP John Greenway.

For some, it was mainly a great day out.

Eleven-year-old Lewis Jennison, whose mum Sue had arranged for him to have the day off school, admitted lobbying the Prime Minister was much more fun than turning up in class.

But for his mum, whose hairdressing salon in Norton was forced to close twice in two years because of the floods, the campaign was deadly serious. "We just want to be recognised," she said, when asked what she was hoping to achieve by the trip.

For some, like Mabel Taylor, even if work began on flood defences tomorrow it would be too late.

The 81-year-old lived in Church Street, Norton for more than 50 years before she was flooded out of her home twice in two years.

She has now moved to Garforth in Leeds to stay with her daughter Pamela and even though she's left most of her friends behind, says she will never return to Norton.

"I could not face it again," she said. "Not at my age. It has been really heartbreaking."

Updated: 08:23 Wednesday, January 31, 2001