North Yorkshire's worst floods this century were made worse because Ryedale's rivers are maintained for the benefit of wildlife, not for people, it has been claimed.

Determined: George Harper, 80, surveys the flood damage in the living room of his home at Derwent Terrace, Norton, where he has lived for over 60 years. Picture by David Harrison

Farmer Roy Welford, of Low Marishes, who used to be on the Regional Flood Defence Committee, said: "The rivers are no longer treated as drainage, but as waterways."

He admitted the flooding was due to a lot of rain and snow melting, but added that he flow of water was impeded by willows and overhanging branches.

Hundreds of acres of prime farmland were flooded last week with disastrous results for agriculture. Ten days later seagulls are still swimming on the fields and fields of ruined crops lie in mud.

This was in addition to the misery caused to hundreds of people as their homes filled with muddy water and sewage.

Peter Holmes, flood defence manager of the Environment Agency, the body responsible for maintaining the rivers, said that flooding land was a deliberate ploy in flood defence.

"The idea is to flood washlands to inhibit the flow to the town to try to protect property and people."

He said the flooding was caused by the water not being able to get under the bridges.

"The amount of water caused the flood. The silt and willows have very little effect on flooding."

But he admitted the Environment Agency did not undertake widespread dredging and tried to prune sensitively.

"We have a duty to ensure a natural environment. The silt is a natural breeding ground for fish and insects. Fish wanting to breed and live in the rivers will use the willows to shelter under.

"In terms of flood defence alone it would be better to have concrete-lined water courses like they do in America."

Farmer-turned-seedsman Clive Brewer, of Great Barugh, complained that rivers were choked by the roots of fast growing willows which, in turn, trapped silt and brash, preventing the water from clearing as it used to.

He said when the flow of water was obstructed by uncleared tree roots and silt it went into a bottleneck and the water was forced to divert on to the land from behind the back of the flood defences.

He said: "The Environment Agency is infiltrated by people who have interest in nature conservancy and none in field management.

"They daren't touch a tree. Are we conserving for frogs and newts and toads or are we conserving for people?"

Ryedale county councillor Geoff Rennie, who lives at Huttons Ambo, below Malton and Norton, said from an aesthetic point of view the river there was lovely with its waterlilies and reeds.

"But with those it is bound to be silting up and it must be affecting the flow, so it must back up to Malton.

"Looking at it as a casual observer, it just doesn't seem right."

By George! The floods won't beat 80-year-old

by James KilnerA stoic pensioner and his disabled wife are refusing to let the Derwent floods beat them - even though they have no insurance to meet the bills.

George Harper, 80, and his wife Kathleen, 86, were told they could not get insurance on their property in Derwent Terrace, Norton, because of the likelihood of flood.

When the Derwent burst its banks last week, the elderly couple were forced out of the house they have lived in for more than 50 years.

The force of the water knocked over their fridge and caused irreparable damage to a cooker, two televisions, a sideboard, George's piano-organ and most of his clothes.

George said: "We worry not. I will do the repairs myself - my father was a builder. There is no way I am going to employ somebody to do it, I just can't afford it.

"Replacing the household goods won't be a problem. There are plenty of second-hand places I can go to.

"We were refused insurance on our household goods because of the chance of flood."

Floods are nothing new to George.

He has experienced severe Derwent floods twice before, particularly in 1931 which, he said, were worse than last week's.

In 1931 George stayed in his house, and would have remained in his property in Derwent Terrace last week had his family not convinced him he had to get out.

He said: "I was prepared to stay. I would have stayed upstairs and been fine. It was the rate of the flood that amazed me, it was so quick."

George and family members, including his daughter, Ann, and her husband, John, had to carry his wife, Kathleen, who is wheelchair-bound, up the stairs of the house when water began pouring in.

Next day they had to be rescued in a dinghy. They are now staying at Ann's home in Langley Drive. They hope to be back in Derwent Terrace by the weekend.

Ann said: "No insurance doesn't bother my father. He will just carry on living his own inimitable lifestyle."

According to the Association of British Insurers, on average, one in four people do not have household insurance.

Vic Rance, of ABI, said: "There is not a lot people can do if they live on the edge of a river that floods regularly.

"After a certain period, insurance companies will just not grant insurance for floods.

"Sometimes houses are lower- priced because of the risk of flood. Some people object to flood defences because it spoils the view.

"f flood defences are not improved insurance companies will not give insurance - it's rare but it happens."

ABI estimates the total repair bill for the damage caused by last week's floods could be £10 million.

Extra staff are being recruited by the Environment Agency to improve its flood warning and flood defence systems.

The national recruitment drive comes as agency staff based in the region returned to their ordinary routine after last week's floods in Malton, Norton and Stamford Bridge.

Six staff will be based in the York area, which covers the three flood-hit towns, and at least another 13 will be based in the agency's north east region, which covers Yorkshire, Durham and Northumbria.

They are being taken on to meet the demands of the agency's action plan which was published in response to last year's big floods, which hit other areas of England and Wales at Easter.

Targets in the plan include:

Increase flood warning systems and flood defence

Better identification of flood risk areas

Improved communication with those in areas likely to flood

Better assessment of the impact of climate change and increased rainfall

Vigorous opposition to development in flood plain areas.

The agency said the new recruits would play a critical role in enhancing the vital flood warning and flood defence service to the community.

One of the main thrusts of the recruitment drive would be to implement the agency's new national programme of flood defence surveys.

This would include a six-monthly visual inspection of all flood defences and a regular in-depth survey of all flood defence structures.

see COMMENT 'That's the spirit'

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