RESIDENTS have returned to York's James Street travellers' site almost four months after they were evacuated during the Christmas floods.

Travellers were able to move back in on Wednesday after the site got the all-clear from City of York Council.

The council's assistant director of housing Steve Waddington said it had refurbished amenity blocks with new kitchens, bathrooms, heating and electrics and thoroughly cleaned the area.

"All the internal works have been done," he said. "The site has been cleaned. There are 20 pitches on the site and 10 were able to get their accommodation out prior to the flooding.

"We are working with the others to help them access grant funding to enable them to replace their homes and accommodation."

However, as they moved back in, travellers said they were still not happy with the response to the Boxing Day floods.

Asked if she was happy to be back, a woman, who asked not to be named, replied: "I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

"What's going to happen when it rains again? I am going to be afraid of more flooding."

She said the time spent away from the site had been "horrendous". "The living conditions that we have had for the last four months are appalling.

"City of York Council said it will provide temporary accommodation, but it was like taking a fish out of water.

"You take a traveller out of their community and they feel alienated."

She claimed their plight would not be as bad if the council had responded more quickly.

"It started flooding at 8am on Boxing Day, but no council worker of any description came until the water had subsided," she said.

"People should have been down here helping. It was only when I got Sonja Crisp, the Lord Mayor, involved that anything happened."

Mr Waddington said: "The flooding was at a level upwards of two metres.

"We have completely refurbished the amenity facilities.

"That's the same as has been happening in our other homes across the city.

"It's taken four months, but that's still relatively quick when you look at the work that needed to be done."

He added: "Across the process, the council has put significant resources into not only supporting travellers, but also our other tenants and residents.

"By the end of next week, all the 47 council houses where people were flooded will be back open."

Mr Waddington said flood-hit residents had also received emotional support.

He said: "We have had a case worker that has been able to help individuals. We have also got the Major Incident Response Team (MIRT) in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council.

"We recognise that repairing the homes is not the end of it.

"Just because you have a new home or amenity block doesn't mean everything is resolved. This is just the start of the next phase."