CONSERVATIVE leader William Hague has spoken of his sympathy for North and East Yorkshire's flood victims.

Although members of his party criticised Prime Minister Tony Blair for his high-profile visit to the region as the waters continued to rise, Mr Hague only commented when contacted by the Evening Press.

His spokeswoman said he had been to affected areas in his Richmondshire constituency.

He said: "The devastation of the floods has been a harrowing and traumatic experience for thousands of people in Yorkshire. My sympathy goes out to all of them. Now it is the job of the politicians and various agencies to work together to find solutions to the problems that come year after year."

Meanwhile, Edward McMillan-Scott, Yorkshire and Humberside MEP and leader of the UK Conservatives in Europe, suggested that the Prime Minister had tried to stop a royal visit at the height of the floods.

He said: "I have written to the Prime Minister asking for clarification as to whether he had actively sought to prevent members of the Royal Family comforting flood victims, whilst hastily putting in place his own plans to visit."

A spokesman for the Royal Family said Prince Charles' own advisers recommended that a visit would be best timed after efforts to fight the floods had eased.