YORK tourism and business leaders were fuming today at national media coverage of the floods.

They claimed reports on radio and TV were over-the-top, presenting an image of a city severely disrupted by flooding and possibly unsafe to visit.

They feared this could prevent holidaymakers visiting the city in one of its best weeks in the year for tourism, the February half-term break.

One broadcaster on national radio this morning ended a conversation about the flooding in York with the comment: "Don't move to York."

And a presenter on breakfast television said flood defences were "obviously not working" in the city.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau and president of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, branded such comments "unwise and uninformed".

She said the York Tourism Bureau had received many calls this morning from anxious tourists. There had been a small number of cancellations, she said.

"The media coverage of the floods in 2000 did more to damage to York's tourism businesses than the floods did themselves," she claimed.

"It is absolutely vital that we get across our message to visitors that York is completely safe to visit.'

Paul Taylor, marketing director of the York Inward Investment Board, said national media reports were "wholly frustrating".

He said: "It gives a totally false picture of the situation in York.

"York's business parks are not under water, and were not under water in 2000."

York's emergency planning officer, Barry Kelly said: "It is not an emergency from City of York Council's point of view and it is not an emergency from the Environment Agency's point of view.

Updated: 15:36 Tuesday, February 12, 2002