Veteran disc jockey and TV personality Sir Jimmy Savile today offered to 'fix it' for flood victims across Yorkshire.

Yorkshireman Sir Jimmy offered a £1,000 donation to kick-start a fund to help victims of the flooding which ravaged York and North and East Yorkshire.

He had been moved by a "grandstand" view of the flooding as he travelled by train from Leeds, through Selby to York.

Also today, the Archbishop of York revealed to the Evening Press he is opening up a special account to help flood victims across Yorkshire.

Sir Jimmy and the Archbishop's announcements came on the same day as Prince Charles was visiting York and Selby to see for himself the extent of the flood damage.

During a four-hour trip round the area, the prince was being briefed on the problems people faced at the height of the crisis, and was being told tales of the "Dunkirk spirit" of those in the thick of it.

He was also due to offer some crumbs of comfort to some of those who suffered most.

Retired headteacher Margaret Walker, 62, was preparing to show the royal guest her Shipton Road home, which was ravaged by four feet of water. Instead of a pristine home, the prince was being met by the reek of dampness and ruined walls and flooring.

Mrs Walker has been told it could be six months before her house is repaired.

She said: "Having the Prince of Wales in your own home is something that you would never expect to happen, and I can't even do anything to make my house look nice."

The prince's tour was also taking in the sandbagging operation along the banks of the River Ouse, and a meeting with members of the area's emergency services crews, as well as VIPs.

He was visiting the Flood Advice Centre in Naburn, a village which was cut off for five days during the worst of the flooding, before moving on to a stricken estate in Barlby, and finally Selby Civic Centre.

The archbishop, Dr David Hope, commenting on his special flood account, says he has already been receiving unsolicited donations to help victims of the recent floods.

The donations range from £1 from a pensioner - "which I found very moving" - to a cheque for £10,000 received only today from a parish in New York where Dr Hope preached last year.

And he said that he already a discretionary fund but he now planned to set up a special flood disaster account to which people can send donations.

He said that the money would be distributed in cases of real hardship for people - anybody in the community - throughout the York diocese with the assistance of the clergy.

Sir Jimmy said he was delighted to hear of the account and would send his cheque to the archbishop today.

"I have been waiting for two or three weeks for somebody to start a fund for the flood victims so I thought I would kick-start it myself. I want to help get some money from the dry people for the damp people."

He said he had seen the flooding for himself about a week ago. "I took just about the first train out of Leeds to go to York via Selby and it went through all the flooded areas with Chinooks flying overhead - I had a grandstand view".

* The Archbishop said anyone wanting to pay money into the flood fund should make cheques payable to: The Archbishop of York Discretionary Fund (Flood Funds) and send them to Bishopthorpe Palace, Bishopthorpe, York, North Yorkshire.