Flood families' Christmas misery

Many parts of Oxfordshire suffered severe flooding, pic by Libby Butler

More than 60 families in Oxfordshire face spending a second Christmas in temporary accommodation after last year's summer floods.

Many are still living in caravans or have been forced onto the top floor of their homes because of water damage.

Government figures show that 64 houses in Oxfordshire are still affected.

The Floods Recovery Minister, John Healey, said help would be offered to anyone still not in their homes and they would not be forgotten.

Some families will be able to claim £200 to help with extra energy costs this winter.

Jake Spencer, his wife Nicola and their three children aged between four and eight, were forced out of their home for almost a year.

They were put into rented accommodation in Witney and only moved back at the end of August.

I want those who are not at home to know that they are not forgotten and not on their own John Healey, Floods recovery minister

Mr Spencer said: "It was extremely stressful. We should have only been out five months - it ended up being almost a year."

The family sacked contractors carrying out the repairs and employed local workmen to finish the job, added Mr Spencer.

Large areas of Oxfordshire were badly affected by the floods in July 2007 with Abingdon, Witney and Oxford suffered substantial damage.

The latest figures from the government show 26 households in West Oxfordshire, 22 in the Vale of White Horse and 16 in Oxford, are still affected by the impact of the floods.

"I want those who are not at home to know that they are not forgotten and not on their own," said Mr Healey.

He added: "We must learn from this experience and plan for future events. My priority is getting people back in their homes and companies back in business as quickly as possible.

"One of the main reasons for delays has been the time it has taken for properties to dry out."

Last year saw the wettest summer since records began in 1766. Across the country, 48,000 homes and 9,000 businesses were flooded. It caused £3.1 bn worth of damage.