Despairing traders in York city centre are asking if the authorities exaggerated the flooding crisis and kept potential customers out of the city centre.

They say the "stay away" call in the latest flooding has denuded the city of customers and savaged their profits.

Andrew Kenny, of Cross of York fishmonger's stall at Newgate Market, said that though large parts of the city centre were unaffected by floods, it had been deserted and traders were losing money.

He added: "It would be helpful if the positive had been stressed by highlighting access points into the city centre that are not affected."

Leonard Yeo, managing director of Burgins Perfumery in Coney Street, said: "Somebody has to point out that actually the city centre is open for business - that the Park and Ride is still operating and so are the majority of car parks.

"Half my business for a full year is done over the next seven weeks. By last week our takings were down 50 per cent."

But a spokeswoman for Silver Command, the flood emergency strategic decision-making body, said its decision was a matter of life and death.

She said: "In order to allow the emergency services to operate quickly and effectively, as well as to ensure that the numbers of people potentially at risk were kept to an absolute minimum, the decision was taken to strongly urge anyone who did not need to be in the city to stay away.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and was in the full knowledge of the potential consequences for the business community. In this major emergency priority has to go to the saving of human life."

Police said they were working as fast as possible with other authorities to open roads and were encouraging those who did come to York to use park and ride or other public transport.

City of York Council's assistant chief executive Peter Berry said: "The emphasis today is that the city can start getting back to normal."

York MP Hugh Bayley said: "I hope we're through the worst, but we still have to protect the city from the possibility of severe flooding. We have to abide by the instructions of the emergency services."

York Tourism Board recognised the need for emergency action, but pointed out only one per cent of city businesses had actually been affected.

John Yeomans, president of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, blamed the national and international media for concentrating on a flood disaster story.

Mr Yeomans said that without belittling the wonderful work of the agencies or the despair of those who were flooded, it was now time for the balance to be restored. "We must get people back into the shops, hotels and other businesses. We must press the national and international media to show the true picture before they pack up and leave us."