Tax rise call to prevent flooding

Thousands of properties were affected during the floods

Income tax should rise to fund flood prevention schemes, according to the MP for Carlisle, Eric Martlew.

He believes that higher tax to pay for flood defences would be preferable to increased insurance premiums.

Mr Martlew was meeting officials from the Association of British Insurers on Friday to discuss the cost of repairing flood damage.

On Tuesday an official report into the disaster highlighted a number of lessons to be learned.

Mr Martlew said: "What I am finding is that we have a lot of constituents who are paying a lot more on insurance.

'Very weary'

"It would be better for the nation if we paid a little bit extra in tax and we could spend the money on flood defences.

"The advantage of paying by tax is that it is spread throughout the country. You prevent the floods so you don't have the disaster and you don't have the trauma.

"I know a lot of people who are very, very weary of being out of their houses, and all the problems that causes.

"We're talking about a bill of about £450m to put North Cumbria back together again."