'Chris Smith is a coward, a little git and I'll flush his head down the loo': Tory MP's extraordinary attack on Environment Agency boss as he arrives to see flood-hit families in Somerset

 

• Environment Agency chairman Lord Smith was visiting the flood-hit communities in the Somerset Levels 
• MP Ian Liddell-Grainger called him 'a coward' and 'a git' for not visiting the area sooner
• Much of Somerset has been underwater since December and there is more bad weather coming this weekend
• Winds of 80mph and heavy rain will sweep in from Atlantic tomorrow, in 'worst of the weather so far this winter'
• 40 Commando Royal Marines drafted in as storm is expected to bring even more devastation this weekend
• More homes on Somerset Levels are evacuated amid rising flood waters with more severe weather on the way
• Three alleged fuel thieves arrested in Somerset Levels after police found drums and electric pump in 4x4

By Luke Salkeld and Jason Groves and Ray Massey and James Rush
An MP has branded the chairman of the Environment Agency 'a coward' and 'a git' and threatened to 'stick his head down the loo and flush' as he visited the flood-stricken Somerset Levels today.
Ian Liddell-Grainger, the furious Tory MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, lambasted Lord Smith for not visiting the county sooner,much of which has been under several feet of flood water since December.
The Labour peer, who has faced criticism for the quango’s decision to stop dredging rivers in flood-prone area, was today facing residents in Somerset, many of whom have called for him to resign.
Mr Liddell-Grainger said: 'I will tell him what I bloody well think of him - he should go, he should walk. I'm livid. This little git has never even been on the telephone to me. When I find out where he is, I will give it to him.

Visit: Lord Smith (pictured), the chairman of the Environment Agency, has been branded 'a coward' and 'a git' by a Tory MP in Somerset

Questioned: Lord Smith was visiting the flood-hit communities of the Somerset Levels today, five weeks since the floods began

 

 

Speaking from the flood-affected village of Stoke St Gregory, Lord Smith (left) said he had no intention of resigning. Mr Liddell-Grainger (right) said Lord Smith visited the area a year ago and 'promised he would have this sorted within six months'

Area: An aerial view of the village of Moorland shows just how much of the area has been flooded

'He has not told the local MPs, the local council or the local press where he is going to be. He's a coward.'
The MP said Lord Smith visited the area a year ago and 'promised he would have this sorted within six months'.
Speaking from the flood-affected village of Stoke St Gregory, Lord Smith said he had no intention of resigning and remained 'very proud' of the work of his staff.
He would not be drawn into apologising to residents who have been evacuated from their homes, but insisted that the top priority for authorities was 'protecting lives', followed by protecting homes and businesses.

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• Victim of the gales: 10ft Burmese python found crushed to death under a fallen tree
• Britain braced for NEW Atlantic storm set to batter beleaguered coastline this weekend with the biggest waves of the winter
• Military drafted into Somerset Levels to help with flood defences as evacuated families fear their homes will fall into the sea
• Railway lines shut 50 years ago could be reopened in £100million plan to divert trains away from destruction of Dawlish waves
• Get out and take your belongings with you! Police tell flood-hit villagers to leave in message broadcast from helicopter but some stay behind fearing looters
• 'They are looking after birds before humans': Environment Agency delayed work to rail flood defences just days before storm hit so bird survey could be completed

The under-fire peer said: 'I have no intention of resigning because I'm very proud of the work the Environment Agency and its staff have been doing right round the country in the face of the most extreme weather.'
Lord Smith's visit - a week after Environment Secretary Owen Paterson was heckled by local residents - comes as Royal Marines were helping evacuate some 140 properties in the village of Moorland.
Another night of heavy rain overwhelmed local flood defences and, despite advice from police, a handful of people have chosen to remain in their homes.
Around 5,000 properties have been affected by flooding across the country, including 40 in Somerset, and more flood misery is expected in the coming days, with severe weather alerts in place for south east England, the South West and Wales as more wet weather is forecast.

From above: Aerial view of a flooded hamlet near Northmoor Green on the Somerset levels

Evacuated: Aerial view of the flooded village of Moorland which was evacuated last night when flood waters rose further

A submerged caravan in the flooded village of Moorland which was evacuated last night after flood waters continued to rise

Neighbourhood: Rows of houses in the village of Moorland have been flooded following the heavy rain

Homes: Lord Smith's visit to the flood-hit area came as Royal Marines were helping evacuate some 140 properties in the village of Moorland (pictured)

Still running: A First Great Western train makes it's way through floodwater on the Somerset levels

Surrounded: The flooded Somerset Levels, where hamlets have been turned into 'ghost villages' after homes were evacuated due to rising flood waters, is expecting a new deluge of torrential rain

Lord Smith's visit to the Somerset Levels was his first since it was hit by floods, and he met residents who have been worst affected.
Speaking from the Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre in Stoke St Gregory, he said: 'I am very proud of the work that the Environment Agency staff have been doing up and down the country over the course of the last two months.
'We have been faced with the most extreme weather that we have seen for years, we have had the wettest January since records began, this has been a major, major challenge for everyone up and down the country.
'The Environment Agency staff have been working their socks off to try and sort this out for everyone.'
Asked why he had not apologised to residents, he said: 'I have said to the people here what we did last year, what we've been preparing now, the work we're currently doing, and I think the important thing now is to work out what we can do for the future of Somerset, what can now happen, and that's what I'm primarily talking about with the local people here.'
Lord Smith denied making the controversial comment that Britain may have to choose whether it wants to save 'town or country' from future flooding because it is too costly to defend both.

IAN LIDDELL-GRAINGER: TORY MP WHO WAVED A LEG OF LAMB AT PARTY CONFERENCE IN SUPPORT OF FARMERS

Ian Liddell-Grainger does not do subtlety. Calling the head of the Environment Agency a ‘git’ and threatening to flush his head down a toilet is just the latest tirade which means his name is routinely prefaced with the word: ‘Outspoken’.
The 54-year-old Tory MP for Bridgwater is a great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria, making him 309th in line to the throne.
But he must be the only heir to the monarchy to have waved a leg of lamb aloft at a party conference in support of British farmers.
Or claim the bungling Rural Payments Agency ‘make the mafia look honest’ or that Exmoor National Park bosses rule the moorland ‘like one of King John's barons’.  Or accuse the Commons Speaker of ‘rudeness and ignorance’.
After a dead badger was dumped on his doorstep he branded opponents of the cull he supported of being ‘malingerers and scroungers’ who are ‘in the habit of lying in bed until the pubs open, or until the postman arrives with the benefit cheque’.
In the wake of the Tory rout at last year’s local elections he told one of David Cameron’s aides: ‘Tell the PM from me that he is not the problem, George Osborne is!’ 
Asked if there was anything else he would suggest, he replied: ‘Yes, shoot Ken Clarke!’ 
He has a rock solid majority of more than 9,000, but will never rise to ministerial office.Instead he prefers to continue his one-man war against quangocrats which sees him often clash with those in positions of authority. 
Last year he was bawled out by his nemesis, Commons Speaker John Bercow, for apparently talking during a debate. 
‘Be quiet, and if you cannot be quiet, get out,’ Bercow bellowed. ‘You are adding nothing, and you are subtracting a lot. It is rude, it is stupid, it is pompous and it needs to stop.’
On this occasion the Speaker had got the wrong man, but Liddell Grainger’s latest outburst suggests he has no plans to be quiet any time soon

LORD SMITH: LABOUR PEER WHO WAS LEADING FIGURE IN METROPOLITAN NEW LABOUR CLIQUE IN THE 90s

The dinner parties of Notting Hill must have seemed a long way away as Lord Smith of Finsbury gazed out across the sewage-strewn flood waters sloshing through homes on the Somerset Levels. He refused to apologise for the devastation and heaped praise on his staff, to the great annoyance of local people who consider him to be out-of-touch with the needs of the countryside. 
As humble Chris Smith, he was a leading figure in the metropolitan New Labour clique which lived in North London and appeared to run every part of modern Britain in the late 1990s. 
Born in London to a teacher mother and civil servant father in 1951, he grew up in Edinburgh attending the private George Watson's College before studying English at Cambridge, including a PhD on Coleridge and Wordsworth. 
A spell at Harvard followed.
He became a councillor in Islington, before being elected as an MP for Islington South & Finsbury in 1983. 
A year later he became the first MP in Britain to come out as gay. He told a rally in Rugby:  ‘I'm gay, and so for that matter are about a hundred other members of the House of Commons, but they won't tell you openly.’
He rose through the Labour ranks under Neil Kinnock and John Smith, shadowing the Treasury, environment, pensions and health. He was made the first Culture Secretary in Tony Blair’s Cabinet in 1997 but was sacked in 2001.
At the present time he is also chairman of Advertising Standards Authority, chairman of Inmidtown Business Improvement District Category, non-executive board member of Phonographic Performance Ltd, non-executive director of international cultural organisation Zamyn, chairman of the Wordsworth Trust, chairman of the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, a member of the advisory council of the London Symphony Orchestra, a member of the board of the Clore Leadership Programme, a trustee of The Sixteen (the Harry Christophers Choir) and a vice-President of the Christian Socialist Movement. 
He is due to stand down from his role at the Environment Agency - £97,000 last year for three days a week work – in a few months’ time. 

Drafted in: Royal Marines who had been in the region building sandbag defences were drafted in to assist with the evacuation of residents in the village of Moorland this morning

Building defences: Royal Marines build flood defences in Moorland on the Somerset Levels following serious flooding

Worked through the night: Lieutenant Brendan Ford, of the Royal Navy 40 Commando Royal Marines, said two units had worked through the night to boost flood defences

He said: 'I have never said it is a choice between saving the town and saving the country. 
'What I have said is that the clear priorities that have been set for us by successive governments is: our top priority is protecting lives; our second priority is protecting people's homes and people's businesses; our third priority is protecting as much agricultural land as we can. That's the order of priority, that happens in both the town and the country.'
Asked if he could promise there would not be a repeat of the disaster next year, the peer said: 'I don't think anyone can promise that we won't see the sort of rainfall that we have been having over the last few months.
'What we are seeing is increasing levels of erratic weather, very extreme amounts of rainfall. I suspect we are going to see more of that over the next few years.
'What we need to do is find the best possible ways - dredging is probably one of the ways but it's not the only way - and there will be lots of other things we need to see if we can do in order to try and protect Somerset for the future.'
Jim Winkworth, a farmer and landlord of the King Alfred pub in the tiny village of Burrow Bridge, said he was 'bloody mad' Lord Smith had refused to apologise to him personally.

 

Defences: Royal Marines have been assisting with sandbag defences in Moorland, Someret, which had been told to expect another 1.6in of rainfall by this morning

Dramatic weather: Flooded areas and sea defences in the South West of England weakened by earlier storms will be bombarded once more

Heavy winds predicted: Winds of 80mph and heavy rain will sweep in from the Atlantic tomorrow, in what forecasters say could be the worst of the dramatic weather so far this winter

Speaking to the media after his meeting with the Environment Agency boss, who is due to step down as chairman of the Environment Agency this summer, Mr Winkworth was clearly angry and emotional.
Asked how he felt by Lord Smith's refusal to apologise, he said: 'Bloody mad. We thought that's the least he could do today and he's not apologising or admitting any liability. He hasn't come down here to apologise, which is what he should be here for.
'If you apologise it means you're admitting you got it wrong, I made a mistake, I'm sorry, I messed up but he's not fit to do that.'
Mr Winkworth, who is a member of the Flooding on the Levels Action Group (Flag), which is fighting to get the rivers on the Levels dredged, said: 'Whoever gets his job needs to be someone who is prepared to listen to people on the ground and actually kick some arse, get some work done and actually do some dredging and maintain structures and maintain what they were given.
'If everything is how it was when it was handed over to them 20 years ago by the National Rivers Authority we wouldn't all be here today and we'd be doing something else.'
Mr Winkworth accused Lord Smith of 'letting everyone down'.
'Chris Smith is the person in charge and he's the person we have to speak to,' he said. 'He is the man in charge with the answers and he should be giving us the answers and sadly he is the man who is giving us the answers that we do not think are correct.

Island: Aerial view of Sam Notaro's house in the flooded village of Moorland which was evacuated last night

Difficult conditions: A television cameraman falls into deep flood waters while filming during flood relief operations in Moorland

'He may think he is correct but he is not. He is letting himself down, he is letting his organisation down and he is letting us down.'
Mr Winkworth said that Lord Smith had explained to him why the dredging that was promised a year ago had not happened. 'He said the reason the action we were promised 12 months didn't happen was because they set aside £400,000 for dredging, which wasn't enough,' he said.
'So they side lined the £400,000 and they were waiting for other agencies to give them more money to get started. So my question was "why didn't they use the £400,000 to make a start?"
'He said it wouldn't work and there was no point starting a job and not finishing it, which I quite honestly think that's what they did 20 years ago when they took over from the National Rivers Authority.'
Asked about the choice of the wetlands centre for today's meeting, Mr Winkworth replied: 'You can't even see a flood from here, it's lovely.'
Company director Liz Parris, 42, who evacuated from her home in Moorland with her husband and two dogs yesterday morning, was waiting outside the meeting with Lord Smith.
Mrs Parris, who currently has a foot of water in her home, said: 'From a personal level, people are very angry. Lord Smith is here now and I am not going to undermine talks with him. Let's see what he has to say, let's give him a chance. People are angry, people are very cross with him. I have to say the EA guys on the ground have been absolutely fantastic. The issues have been, in some cases, with higher up the organisation.
'The people who have farmed this area, lived in this area, managed this area for many, many years were calling before Christmas to turn on the pumps and drain water off the land.
'That was ignored. I hope Lord Smith is listening to what we have to say and something good will come of this visit.'
Royal Marines have been drafted in to help with relief efforts in the flood-hit communities as another huge storm is set to bring even more devastation when it hits the country this weekend.

Submerged: The flooded graveyard in Moorland, Somerset, after flood waters rose dramatically over night

Graveyard: Undertakers up and down the country are having to re-schedule funerals and tell grieving families there are delays because of the floods

Winds of 80mph and heavy rain will sweep in from the Atlantic tomorrow, in what forecasters say could be the worst of the dramatic weather so far this winter.
Flooded areas and sea defences weakened by earlier storms will be bombarded once more. Yet again, the worst hit will be the South West of England, where coastal homes and businesses have been severely damaged.
The flooded Somerset Levels meanwhile, where hamlets have been turned into 'ghost villages' after homes were evacuated due to rising flood waters, is also expecting a new deluge of torrential rain.
Royal Marines who had been in the region building sandbag defences were drafted in to assist with the evacuation of residents in the village of Moorland this morning.
Lieutenant Brendan Ford, Royal Navy 40 Commando Royal Marines, which is based in Taunton, said two units had worked through the night to boost flood defences.
He said: 'We had quite a warm reception from residents here. I think they were just happy to see people in the areas they have been living.
'We received a call to attend here at 2pm yesterday and have been here ever since. Two units arrived and we currently have one unit left.'

Damage caused: Flooded areas and sea defences weakened by earlier storms will be bombarded once more. Pictured is a flooded home in Moorland

Storm waning: The flooded Somerset Levels is expecting a new deluge of torrential rain as the Atlantic storm sweeps ion this weekend

Rescue: A vehicle drives through the flooded village of Moorland after it was evacuated following severe flooding over night

Help at hand: Emergency services and Marines move in to help people evacuate in Moorland, Somerset, after flood waters rose dramatically over night

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Military personnel, currently mostly Royal Marines, continue to provide support in Somerset in areas affected by floods as part of cross-government and multi-agency relief efforts.
'Marines from 40 Commando moved into the village of Athelney last night to deploy sandbags and improve flood defences and have now moved to Moorland where they are using two Pinzgauer vehicles to help evacuate 140 properties. They stand ready to receive further taskings as required.
'In addition to the Marines on the ground in Moorland, a number of military planners are working with relevant agencies at a range of locations to scope what further support the military can offer.
'As the Prime Minister has said, all available resources are being brought to bear to help those still struggling as a result of the floods.'
As residents were being urged to evacuate their homes, locals have blamed the authorities for the 'devastation'. The criticism comes just before the chairman of the Environment Agency visits the area today for the first time since it was hit by floods.
Tory Ian Liddell-Grainger, who represents Bridgwater and West Somerset, said he had not been given any details about today's visit and branded Lord Smith a 'coward'.
He said: 'I will tell him what I bloody well think of him - he should go, he should walk. I'm livid. This little git has never even been on the telephone to me.
'When I find out where he is, I will give it to him. He has not told the local MPs, the local council or the local press where he is going to be. He's a coward.'

Transport: Flood-hit travellers in south west England are to get more flights and coach services and special rail fare offers to help them cope with transport difficulties. Pictured is damage to the Dawlish line

Assistance: The announcement of assistance came as Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin visited Dawlish in Devon where the rail has been wrecked by the severe storms

Fares: On his visit Mr McLoughlin said he hoped train companies would reduce rail fares to those affected by the Dawlish devastation which is going to take at least six weeks to fix

Arrangements: The Department for Transport has said First Great Western has put in place special ticketing arrangements so rail passengers who are affected by flood disruption do not miss out on cheaper advance fares while revised timetables are put in place

The MP said Lord Smith visited the area a year ago and 'promised he would have this sorted within six months'.
Two weather systems are on course to collide in the coming days, bringing more than an inch of rain to some areas.
A Met Office spokesman said yesterday: ‘Once the initial band of rain comes in you are going to see severe gales that could bring potential issues with a risk of trees falling.’
The warning came as Prime Minister David Cameron faced growing pressure over the floods. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles last night said an extra £130million was needed for emergency repairs and clean up.
He criticised the Environment Agency, saying its chairman, Labour peer Chris Smith, was wrong to suggest the countryside would have to be sacrificed to protect urban areas. ‘We will work to defend both town and country,’ Mr Pickles said.
Lord Smith has faced criticism for the quango’s decision to stop dredging rivers in flood-prone areas. After claiming that Britain must choose between saving ‘the town or country’, he is sure of a vocal welcome from locals, many of whom have called for him to resign.

Breached sea wall: Engineers have been working through the night at Dawlish, Devon, to shore up a seriously damaged section of sea wall before another Atlantic storm system arrives on Saturday

Engineers: Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin travelled to Devon to see the Dawlish damage, which is going to take around six weeks to repair

Changes possible: The main rail line to Cornwall could be permanently re-routed following the battering from storms, ministers have indicated

Devastation: An aerial picture reveals the true scale of the damage to the train line at Dawlish, after the storm on Wednesday

Map: There were 84 Environment Agency flood warnings and 257 flood alerts in place across England and Wales last night, as well as two severe flood warnings

On the way: Winds of 80mph and heavy rain will sweep in from the Atlantic tomorrow, in what forecasters say could be the worst of the dramatic weather so far this year

Weather warnings: Two weather systems are on course to collide in the coming days, bringing more than an inch of rain to some areas

And residents of the flooded Somerset Levels can expect a new deluge of torrential rain.
Two weather systems are on course to collide in the coming days, bringing more than an inch of rain to some areas. 
A Met Office spokesman said yesterday: ‘Once the initial band of rain comes in you are going to see severe gales that could bring potential issues with a risk of trees falling.’

THREE MORE 'FUEL THIEVES' ARRESTED in SOMERSET LEVELS

Three more alleged fuel thieves have been arrested in the flood-stricken Somerset Levels.
Police stopped the trio at 4am today near the flooded village Muchelney and found drums and an electric pump in their 4x4.
The men, aged 51, 35 and 24, are now being held at Yeovil police station.
This follows the theft of 600 gallons of domestic heating oil from a farm in Moorland overnight last Friday. 
Two fire service quad bikes were also taken from Burrowbridge on the same night.
Avon and Somerset Police said: 'We arrested three men overnight on suspicion of going equipped to steal fuel on the Somerset Levels.
'Officers stopped their 4x4 vehicle, containing large drums and an electric pump, at 4am in Kingsdown, just to the east of the flooded village of Muchelney.'

The warning came as Prime Minister David Cameron faced growing pressure over the floods. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles last night said an extra £130million was needed for emergency repairs and clean up.
He criticised the Environment Agency, saying its chairman, Labour peer Chris Smith, was wrong to suggest the countryside would have to be sacrificed to protect urban areas. ‘We will work to defend both town and country,’ Mr Pickles said.
Lord Smith, who has faced criticism for the quango’s decision to stop dredging rivers in flood-prone areas, will finally visit Somerset today, five weeks after the floods began.
Householders in the Somerset Levels attempting to stay put despite the water surging into their properties were warned by loudspeakers on police helicopters of an ‘imminent threat to life’, as more rain lashed into the area.
It is understood that last night some villages, with populations of around 100 people, had been abandoned by almost all of their residents.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said that people in around 80 homes in Moorland were urged to evacuate, but a handful of people have chosen to remain in their homes.

Police were 'strongly advising' residents to heed their advice. Another night of heavy rain overwhelmed local flood defences and the water level began to rise.
Residents from nearby Northmoor, Fordgate and Saltmoor on the Levels had already been warned to evacuate last night.
A police spokesman said: 'Earlier this morning local flood defences were breached and the water level in Moorland began rising. We have been informing local residents and strongly advising them to leave the area. The Royal Marines and search and rescue volunteers are assisting us with this.'

Yesterday flood water rose by up to 2ft in some areas in just a few hours when river defences were breached.
Some of those remaining said they were doing so to protect their property from opportunistic thieves who might target the area. Earlier this week heating oil and quad bikes were stolen by criminals. 
But some homeowners were reluctant to leave and watched helplessly yesterday as waves of sewage-filled water engulfed their homes.

Protection efforts: Workmen drive to a recently constructed £1million house on the Somerset levels which owner Sam Notaro is desperately trying to protect from the floodwater

Flood defences: The recently constructed £1million house on the Somerset levels which owner Sam Notaro is desperately trying to protect from the floodwater

Barriers: Sam Moranto, 40, has remained in his home in Moorland, Somerset, despite emergency services urging him to leave

Sue Sayer, 50, of Moorland, said: ‘I’m not moving out. If I go, who’s going to look after our house and the other houses here? 
‘There is a lot of talk of looting at the moment and there are lots of strange cars around.
'I just don’t think it’s safe to leave the house. I’m worried when I come back everything will be gone.’ 
Julian Taylor, 72, and his wife Mary, 68, initially resisted evacuation but finally fled yesterday after they watched nine inches of murky water pour into their home in Fordgate.
Mr Taylor said: ‘It was awful. We are out now, we’ve put the dogs in kennels and we are staying with friends on a short-term basis but ultimately we have nowhere to go.’ 
Yesterday heavy rain continued to fall on to the swollen River Tone, which poured into an already-overwhelmed reservoir and over the top of a man-made defence wall near the villages.

Crashing waves: High tide at Porthleven, in Cornwall, this morning. Waves are expected to be twice as high tomorrow

Seafront: Waves continue to batter the shoreline in Porthleven, Cornwall, which is preparing for more storms this weekend with huge waves and strong winds

Maria Mae also abandoned her Fordgate home after 2ft of sewage-filled water poured into her cottage in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Fighting back tears, she said: ‘We couldn’t do it any more, so we decided to just move out.
‘It’s terrible. I am living like a refugee at the moment out of five bags. My husband cried his eyes out. I have no idea where we are going to go.’ 
Elsewhere in the South West, victims of Wednesday’s violent storms were continuing to count the cost of damage.
Residents of Dawlish, where a section of railway is suspended in mid-air, could only watch as their properties continued to be battered by waves, with one bottomless garage looking particularly precarious.
Regional airline Flybe said it was doubling, to six, its daily flights between Gatwick airport in West Sussex and Newquay in Cornwall, starting from next Wednesday.
This will provide an extra 4,500 seats a week 'to alleviate south west England passenger transport woes', the airline said.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'The Government fully understands the importance of transport resilience. Planning for the impacts of extreme weather and climate change are a key part of the huge levels of investment we are providing in our transport infrastructure.

Rising waters: Environment Agency staff worked late in to the night to put up a flood barrier in the centre of Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, after warnings the River Avon was likely to burst its banks

Forecast: Winds of 80mph and heavy rain will sweep in from the Atlantic tomorrow, in what forecasters say could be the worst of the dramatic weather so far this year

At work: Staff from the Environment Agency put up the flood barriers in Bradford-on-Avon following the warnings about the rising River Avon

'The Highways Agency has assessed the potential risks that climate change presents and is taking actions to mitigate its impact. The Government has also ensured the rail industry embed climate resilience into its investment plans.'
He went on: 'Over the next five years more than £38 billion is being spent to improve and maintain the railways and Network Rail is continually developing strategies for securing the network's long-term resilience.
'We will continue to do everything we can to both tackle the urgent problems we face as well as protecting the UK's transport networks in the long term.'
The Environment Agency yesterday issued two severe weather warnings, indicating ‘imminent danger to life’, alongside 20 warnings of immediate danger and 50 alerts to be prepared.
Police sought to reassure residents concerned about leaving their property. Chief Superintendent Caroline Peters of Avon and Somerset Police said there had been just three flood-related thefts, adding: ‘You are safe. We have ramped up patrol plans.’
Meanwhile, residents in Bucklebury, the Berkshire village where the Duchess of Cambridge's parents Michael and Carole Middleton live, were on sandbag alert today as the River Pang burst its banks and flooded the area.
An amber warning is now in force across West Berkshire, with more torrential rain expected today and over the weekend - and even more due next week.
Close to the Middletons' home is Bucklebury ford, where the normally-placid River Pang flows across the road.
The relentless rain has turned the river into a raging torrent and Thames Valley Police have warned drivers to beware - recent floods have resulted in several rescues by the fire brigade after cars got marooned. Firefighters in Oxfordshire have been called out to more than 30 flood incidents - including flooded houses - since 4am this morning.
The Prime Minister, who this week took personal charge of the crisis, has also bowed to pressure to visit the flood-hit West Country. Mr Cameron said he would tour the region to see the damage for himself, with Government sources adding that the trip could be as early as today. 
But Labour leader Ed Miliband said ministers were ‘slack in planning and slow to help the people affected’.

Toppled over: A 90ft tree has come crashing down on top of a church in Salwarpe, Worcestershire, in 70mph gusts

Collapsed: The cedar tree, which is more than 150-years-old, collapsed on to St Michael's Church in Salwarpe, Worcestershire in the strong winds on Wednesday night

Damage: The weight of the giant tree has caused the stone work around the church windows to crack

A Labour source directly criticised Mr Cameron, who has called more than 20 meetings of the emergency committee, Cobra, in recent weeks.
The source said: ‘The important thing now is that he rectifies the  Government’s slow help for affected communities. We don’t need Cobra meetings for show – we need action on the ground.’ 
Mr Pickles acknowledged that there ‘might have been a problem’ with the speed of the initial response, but said all the resources of Government were now being brought to bear.
Mr Cameron said: ‘We are not just talking, we are acting. Believe me, I will be in Somerset before long, listening to people.’ 
Meanwhile, Ukip leader Nigel Farage called for part of the £11billion foreign aid budget to be diverted to help flood victims in Britain. 
Mr Farage said: ‘Charity begins at home and it is not mean-spirited to say that, it is just basic common sense.’
50-year-old rail line to replace disaster track?
The main rail line to Cornwall could be permanently re-routed following the battering from storms, ministers indicated yesterday.
Downing Street said troops could be called in to help repair track at Dawlish in Devon, after the collapse of the sea wall shut the main train line between Exeter and Penzance.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin ordered a review of alternative inland rail routes to prevent a repeat of this week’s devastation.

Big repair job: Rail emergency workers inspect damaged track along the seafront at Dawlish, where storms destroyed sections of the mainline route

Location: Downing Street said troops could be called in to help repair the track, after the collapse of the sea wall shut the main train line between Exeter and Penzance

Damage: High tide strikes again at Dawlish in Devon where the train line has been exposed by the wild storm

Other options: Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin ordered a review of alternative inland rail routes to prevent a repeat of this week's devastation

The last Labour government ruled out replacing the line in 2006, despite a warning from the Met Office that its future was uncertain.

FLOODS ARE A 'WAKE-UP CALL' TO CLIMATE CHANGE, SAYS CHARLES

The floods are a ‘wake-up call’ to the dangers of climate change, Prince Charles said yesterday.
The Prince of Wales, who visited Somerset this week, said: ‘It is, I think, a classic example of what happens if we pay little attention to the accumulating impact of climate change.’
He has roundly criticised the speed of the official response and suggested rivers in flooded areas should have been dredged more regularly.

One long-term option is to reopen  an abandoned stretch of the former Southern Railway from Exeter to  Newton Abbott which closed in 1958, meaning trains would no longer stop at Teignmouth or Dawlish. 
Another more costly plan would be to revive the Southern Railway line which links Exeter to Plymouth via the northern edge of Dartmoor.
This would mean rail services to Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torbay, Totnes and Ivybridge would be lost, with trains taking a 50-mile detour.
Both options would be hugely expensive and take years to complete.
Meanwhile thousands of commuters are being forced to pay maximum fares for their journeys - as First Great Western has withdrawn its discounted advance tickets for services west of Exeter.
The operator said the cheaper tickets apply to specifically timetabled trains and they cannot guarantee which services will run.
A spokesman added: ‘Once we have a full and robust train plan in place to operate services west of Exeter we will restart sales of advance tickets.’

MYSTERY 10FT RETICULATED PYTHON FOUND CRUSHED TO DEATH UNDER TREE BLOWN DOWN BY GALES

A reticulated python was found crushed to death under a tree that had been blown down by high winds.
RSPCA officials are investigating the death of the 10ft snake, which was discovered with fatal head injuries on Wednesday. 
The reptile, pictured with an RSPCA officer, was discovered by alarmed dog walkers in a park in Northfleet, Kent – but no one has so far come forward to claim ownership. 
An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘Somebody will be missing a 10ft Burmese python and we want to find out who.’

Crushed to death: RSPCA officials are investigating the death of the 10ft snake, which was discovered with fatal head injuries on Wednesday in Northfleet, Kent