THE Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have visited flood victims in Stamford Bridge.

The couple were at The New Inn, and have been meeting local residents and business owners this morning.

Charles and Camilla were greeted with cheers from crowds in sun-drenched Stamford Bridge - a scene which was in stark contrast to the torrential rain which led to the flooding of the East Yorkshire village on Boxing Day.

York Press:

The royal couple spoke with the crowd and local dignitaries before heading into Chris Clubley & Co estate agents who told them how the water burst in through the back door and wrecked the shop..

Moving into the New Inn pub where landlady Helen Ambler showed Charles and Camilla around the work which is ongoing to return the pub to normal.

Ms Ambler told the royal visitors how she woke at 8am on Boxing Day to find three inches of water in the building and she surrounded the pub with sandbags, but it did not help.

She said: "But by 10am there was a good foot-and-a-half and by 1pm there was 3ft of water. It came up so quickly.

"And then it was just coming through the floor.

"It wasn't the actual river water, it was the drains and the sewage coming up. It was awful".

"It wasn't pleasant but we got through it."

Mrs Ambler said Charles asked them about the renovation work and whether they had insurance.

And he took a great interest in the bar, which has already been restored by a local craftsman.

Speaking with local councillors, Prince Charles spoke of his support for rural schemes to slow the flow of water.  

Ms Ambler said Charles left saying it was a shame he had come to the pub and not had chance for a drink.

She said: "He offered to buy the whole pub a drink. He asked if the next time he's passing, could he pop in."

Charles and Camilla chatted to hundreds of well-wishers who gathered in The Square.

One man joked afterwards that he thought they were the first royal visitors to Stamford Bridge since 1066 when King Harold famously marched to the village to defeat the Norwegian army before his ill-fated march south to face William of Normandy.

The prince and his wife will go on to visit Harrogate later in the day including a trip to the home of Yorkshire Tea, Taylors of Harrogate where they will meet staff in the tea tasting rooms, the cookery school and the craft bakery at Plumpton Park.