As the level of the River Ouse continued to fall today, riverside pubs in York were counting the cost of their latest watery invasion.

The Lowther, in Cumberland Street, was one of the worst-hit properties during November's floods and is not due to reopen until February.

Things were made worse when owner Derek Binns was told by his insurers that they would not reinsure contents against flood.

He said: "It's just come into the cellars this time. We are used to that happening and we are geared up to it flooding to about 14ft above normal.

"But we had just had it all cleaned out and sanitised and now we've got to do it all again."

He said the pub's refit would include installing extra flood "barriers".

"We will have to become a little island, barricaded up so no water can get in," he said.

"That is going to have to be the answer."

He said the pub was facing losing £250,000 in lost takings because of being closed for so long.

"The hardest thing is drying it out - we've got four dehumidifiers going and they're still producing three buckets of water a day each."

Mike Hartley, landlord of the King's Arms, said they were still aiming to reopen on Friday night.

"We're still working through the night trying to clean it all out," he said.

He said the latest rise in the water had seen it coming in at about a foot high, but nothing like the ceiling level it reached in early November,

"We've rewired all the electrics at ceiling height, put in a new bar floor and reupholstered. The main problem is drying out.

"But we're used to flooding. With a normal flood, from the time of the water going out of the door to opening the bar is usually about three hours."

janet.hewison@ycp.co.uk