A flood victim has accused councils across Yorkshire of showing a "complete disregard" for people living in flood-hit areas.

Howard Keal,from Norton, last night called on the Environment Agency to remind councillors who sit on regional flood defence committees of their "responsibilities" to those in flood-affected areas.

Mr Keal, angry that there are still potential funding problems after the regional flood defence committee committed themselves to a Ryedale defence scheme, called on the various authorities to vote in favour of the levy.

"It would mean ten pence a week on the rates," he said, speaking at a meeting of the Malton and Norton Flood Liaison Group. "Surely something can be done to remind councillors on the flood defence committee of their responsibility to the region as a whole. They appear to be completely indifferent to the needs of the region - and the risks it is facing."

Mr Keal also asked whether the lack of funding meant that there could be no further maintenance, or any dredging, of the River Derwent in this financial year.

Craig McGarvey, of the EA, said: "At the moment the maintenance programme is the same as the previous year. We won't be increasing the spend on it."

Meanwhile, Norton flood victim James Hands has criticised the Environment Agency's latest flooding newsletter, Floodlink.

The newsletter updates victims on work the EA is doing across all of Yorkshire's flood-hit regions.

It had been branded "patronising" for including items such as a plastic bag with instructions on how to put your valuables in it to stop them getting wet.

But Mr Hands, who was only able to re-open his business this week, said the EA has abandoned most of the patronising tone.

"It is still a bit that way, but at least there is none of the rubbish that has gone before. Personally though, I would like to see the money they are spending on this put towards getting the defences built," he said.

Updated: 11:33 Thursday, April 12, 2001