"IT could have been so much worse." That was the verdict of householders living alongside York's River Ouse who had a narrow escape as water levels reached 4.4 metres above normal.

Rupert Hildyard, who lives in Friar's Terrace, off Peckitt Street, praised City of York Council for swift action which prevented his home from being badly flooded in the last few days.

He said: "We had about a square foot puddle of water but we were very lucky that it came no further.

"We were flooded to about 4ft in 2000 and it took us more than a year to recover, because we had to get the plaster off the walls and have the kitchen redone.

"This was the highest flood since then, but the council team has done a fantastic job with the sandbagging and pumping, because the water was well above our flood level and they have managed to keep it out."

The university lecturer said: "What it shows is that with a bit of effort, the places that have become vulnerable to flooding in the last 10 or 20 years can be protected against the majority of floods.

"If you can just get protection for 2ft higher than you would normally have it makes an enormous difference and you will only flood once every 20 or 30 years instead of every three or four."

But he said more simple measures could be taken to prevent flooding in the area - such as floodgates at the end of Peckitt Street and a higher wall in front of the terrace.

He said: "There are a number of small things which could be done to make it better without the need for any major flood defence work along the front."

He added: "We are always prepared so even if we are flooded it won't be catastrophic. You get used to living with it."

Just to be on the safe side, Mr Hildyard had put his washing machine up on the kitchen table and much of the furniture had been taken upstairs.

Elsewhere in York, the Riverside Comedy Club - held in the basement at the City Screen cinema - was cancelled because of flooding, while a motorist was condemned for driving recklessly through floodwater at Acaster Malbis yesterday. (sun) Outraged Valerie Brown said she saw a four wheel drive vehicle ploughing through floodwater near her home, close to the Ship Inn, endangering a swan with its wake.

"It must have been 4ft deep. I couldn't believe what I was watching," she said. "Not only did he make the water wash up over the wall, in danger of flooding our house, but he was only a few feet away from a pair of swans and one was bowled over and rammed against the wall.

"Fortunately it was okay, but he showed no regard for the swans whatsoever.

"If there had been a child nearby it would have been knocked over."


More rain on the way

YORK remains at risk of further flooding later this week, with more rain expected.

River levels receded in York over the weekend, although two flood warnings were still in place last night - one on riverside footpaths and the other at Naburn Lock in Naburn, according to the Environment Agency. With the Pennines already saturated after more than eight inches of rainfall in a week, further heavy rain on the moors this week could lead to rising river levels downstream in York.