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| Military may be drafted in to help flood-hit Somerset | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Military vehicles could be drafted in to help flood-hit Somerset, the environment secretary has said. | |
| Owen Paterson said the Ministry of Defence was in talks to "deploy specialist vehicles" to affected areas. | Owen Paterson said the Ministry of Defence was in talks to "deploy specialist vehicles" to affected areas. |
| After chairing the emergency Cobra committee, Mr Paterson said: "We had a very constructive discussion with Somerset County Council, who have asked for assistance." | After chairing the emergency Cobra committee, Mr Paterson said: "We had a very constructive discussion with Somerset County Council, who have asked for assistance." |
| The Somerset Levels have been badly hit by flooding in recent weeks. | The Somerset Levels have been badly hit by flooding in recent weeks. |
| Villages such as Muchelney have been cut off for almost a month and about 11,500 hectares (28,420 acres) of the Levels are flooded by about 65 million cubic metres of water. | Villages such as Muchelney have been cut off for almost a month and about 11,500 hectares (28,420 acres) of the Levels are flooded by about 65 million cubic metres of water. |
| 'Sandbag help' | 'Sandbag help' |
| Earlier, David Cameron announced rivers in Somerset would be dredged as soon as water levels drop. | Earlier, David Cameron announced rivers in Somerset would be dredged as soon as water levels drop. |
| He said: "We are urgently exploring what further help the government can give to local residents to move around and will rule nothing out in the days ahead to get this problem sorted." | He said: "We are urgently exploring what further help the government can give to local residents to move around and will rule nothing out in the days ahead to get this problem sorted." |
| The Environment Agency has been pumping water from the Somerset Levels and has extra pumps working on Northmoor and Saltmoor. | The Environment Agency has been pumping water from the Somerset Levels and has extra pumps working on Northmoor and Saltmoor. |
| But Mr Paterson said that with "further bad weather forecast in the coming days" there was a "risk to a significant number of properties from flooding". | |
| He said: "As we speak, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Local Government are discussing how we could deploy specialist vehicles which could help some of those villages which have been cut off. | |
| "Secondly, there will also be help with sandbags which could help prevent further flooding." | |
| 'Flooding crisis' | 'Flooding crisis' |
| According to Mr Paterson the council had only asked "for assistance for the first time today". | According to Mr Paterson the council had only asked "for assistance for the first time today". |
| But a council spokesman said the authority had "been in discussions with the military" for several weeks about possible help including "amphibious vehicles, extra sandbags, and support manpower". | But a council spokesman said the authority had "been in discussions with the military" for several weeks about possible help including "amphibious vehicles, extra sandbags, and support manpower". |
| "The council had actually planned to get some amphibious vehicles in, paid for by public money, because this situation really needed to be sorted out," said leader John Osman. | "The council had actually planned to get some amphibious vehicles in, paid for by public money, because this situation really needed to be sorted out," said leader John Osman. |
| "We were due to place an order imminently, but the government saying the military will be involved has saved the public purse that money." | "We were due to place an order imminently, but the government saying the military will be involved has saved the public purse that money." |
| Mr Osman said it was hoped the "specialist military vehicles and help" would arrive in the county within 24 hours. | Mr Osman said it was hoped the "specialist military vehicles and help" would arrive in the county within 24 hours. |
| "We are now getting the very fast response that we have appealed for," he said. | "We are now getting the very fast response that we have appealed for," he said. |
| "That is what residents in Somerset who have faced up to this flooding crisis for more than a month really deserve." | "That is what residents in Somerset who have faced up to this flooding crisis for more than a month really deserve." |