The DIY superstore chain B&Q today came under fire for selling sandbags during the ongoing floods in the region.

Customer Rebecca Harrison, of Fulford, said she thought it was "outrageous" that the chain's warehouse in Hull Road had been selling the bags for £1.75 each.

"They have been making a fast buck out of other people's misery," she said.

"They've been putting appeals out for sandbags on Ceefax and Teletext and people have been filling them round the place and I think it's bad they're on sale.

"They could have donated some - a big business like that must be in a position to help out.

"I know other building firms have helped a lot."

She said she believed the price of the sandbags was over-inflated and said a bag of ordinary building sand was only £1.

A spokeswoman for B&Q said: "The Hull Road store spoke to both the council and the police on Friday to find out in what way they could help.

"This was one of the suggestions - to sell them.

"They're an option, for people to buy, for those people who were not going to get free ones.

"A lot of customers have gone into the store and praised the store because there are staff there filling the bags. If they hadn't, people would have had to buy sand and bags separately."

She said the store had sent 20 wheelbarrows to Barlby.

They had also offered the expertise of their specialists in household matters free of charge to householders and businesses to save them the expense of calling out plumbers and electricians when dealing with flooded properties.

"We have not been aware of any appeals for sandbags and the store has been very, very proactive," she said.

She said the store had also been offering help to North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and to the electricity companies.