Sandbags were issued today to property owners in Pickering as rising water levels in the town's beck sparked fears of flooding.

At about 6am, staff from Ryedale District Council's commercial services department issued about 60 sandbags to the Beck Isle Museum of Rural Life and cottages near the beck.

District council spokeswoman Jill Beachell said the sandbags were handed out in response to an amber warning issued by the Environment Agency at about 3am.

She said: "Other areas currently being monitored are Levisham, Ebberston and Allerston."

Environment Agency spokesman Stacey Rennard said the amber flood warning for Pickering Beck was the only one which had been issued throughout the region.

But she said agency staff at the flood room in York were keeping an eye on the rest of the River Derwent system, into which Pickering Beck runs, as well as other rivers.

The warning issued by the agency states that Pickering Beck is expected to reach "full bank" and areas at risk of flooding include properties adjacent to the beck and in Newbridge Road, Beck Isle, Bridge Street, Park Street, Hungate and Mill Lane."

Today's flood alert came as members of the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee met at the Environment Agency's offices at Clifton Moor, York.

Members of the committee were due to debate possible flood defence measures for the River Derwent catchment area around Old Malton, Malton and Norton.

The meeting in York was due to be attended by representatives of the St Nicholas Street Residents' Association, which represents people in Norton whose homes were devastated by flooding in March, 1999.

More than 100 homes and business premises in Ryedale and across the county border at Stamford Bridge in East Riding were flooded.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.