UK floods prove to be relentless

Beijing News.Net
Monday 23rd July, 2007

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged more funds to tackle some of Britain's worst flooding for nearly 60 years and has made safety and protection his first priorities.

Thousands of people have become homeless in the U.K with entire towns succumbing to the rushing and rising waters.

Mr Brown says he wants to make sure defences against further flooding are in place and money is made available to people caught out by rising floodwaters.

Mr Brown has rejected criticism that his government had failed to anticipate the latest floods and said the U.K, like every other industrialised country, was coming to terms with issues surrounding climate change.

Mr Brown earlier flew over the county of Gloucestershire, where 70,000 homes have had water supplies cut and up to 140,000 homes may be affected in the coming days.

More than 40,000 homes in the area have had their electricity supplies cut by the shutdown of a power station.

Severe flood warnings remain in force. Large parts of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire are under water with river levels still rising.

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