£50m funding pledged to flood-hit councils after Storm Eva

Local authorities responding to the latest flooding crisis in northern England are to get £50 million of immediate funding, the Government has announced.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said the money - on top of the £50 million already pledged for those affected by Storm Desmond - would help support households and businesses.

He also confirmed that the Bellwin scheme will be extended to councils trying to deal with the impact of Storm Eva over Christmas, meaning they will have 100% of their costs above the threshold reimbursed.

Mr Clark said: "No-one could fail to be moved by the scenes of devastation left in the wake of Storm Eva - we're determined to ensure all those affected get the support they need quickly.

"That's why today we're extending Government support to those communities by £50 million, matching the funding already announced for areas affected by Storm Desmond.

"As part of this, councils facing clean-up costs can be confident they will get the support they need through the extension of the Bellwin scheme."