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| Anger at environment chief in flood-hit Somerset | Anger at environment chief in flood-hit Somerset |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Environment Agency Chairman Lord Smith has faced anger from residents and a local MP, as he visited the flood-hit Somerset Levels. | Environment Agency Chairman Lord Smith has faced anger from residents and a local MP, as he visited the flood-hit Somerset Levels. |
| He insisted he would not resign during his first trip to the area, ahead of more expected rainfall later on Friday. | He insisted he would not resign during his first trip to the area, ahead of more expected rainfall later on Friday. |
| Residents have been furious at the Environment Agency, and MP Ian Liddell-Grainger called Lord Smith a "coward". | Residents have been furious at the Environment Agency, and MP Ian Liddell-Grainger called Lord Smith a "coward". |
| His visit comes as about 80 homes in the village of Moorland in Somerset have been evacuated. | His visit comes as about 80 homes in the village of Moorland in Somerset have been evacuated. |
| A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said a "handful" of other residents had chosen to stay, amid the latest bout of flooding in an area which has effectively been cut off for a number of weeks. | A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said a "handful" of other residents had chosen to stay, amid the latest bout of flooding in an area which has effectively been cut off for a number of weeks. |
| 'Disaster zone' | 'Disaster zone' |
| Ahead of Lord Smith's visit, Conservative Mr Liddell-Grainger, who represents Bridgwater and West Somerset, said: "I will tell him what I bloody well think of him - he should go, he should walk. | Ahead of Lord Smith's visit, Conservative Mr Liddell-Grainger, who represents Bridgwater and West Somerset, said: "I will tell him what I bloody well think of him - he should go, he should walk. |
| "I'm livid. This little git has never even been on the telephone to me. When I find out where he is, I will give it to him. | "I'm livid. This little git has never even been on the telephone to me. When I find out where he is, I will give it to him. |
| "He has not told the local MPs, the local council or the local press where he is going to be. He's a coward." | "He has not told the local MPs, the local council or the local press where he is going to be. He's a coward." |
| Making his first visit since floods hit, Lord Smith said he had "no intention of resigning because I'm very proud of the work the Environment Agency and its staff have been doing right round the country in the face of the most extreme weather". | |
| He said the residents he met had "made very clear" to him the distress they had experienced and difficulties they had faced - and how Somerset could be better protected in the future. | |
| He added that £10m of extra government funding allocated to Somerset would enable the Environment Agency (EA) to dredge 8km (4.9 miles) of the rivers Tone and Parrett. | |
| "The clear priorities that have been set for us by successive governments, including this one, is: our top priority is protecting lives, our second priority is protecting people's homes and people's businesses, our third priority is to protect as much agricultural land as we can," he said. | |
| Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron said that "progress is being made" in Somerset and the government was doing "everything we can to help co-ordinate what is still a very difficult situation". | |
| The local water level rose by about one metre overnight, breaching temporary flood defences in the early hours. | The local water level rose by about one metre overnight, breaching temporary flood defences in the early hours. |
| BBC correspondent Ben Moore said an elderly couple who had lived in Moorland since 1975 were among those who had refused to evacuate on Friday. | |
| An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman said: "We have been informing local residents and strongly advising them to leave the area. | An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman said: "We have been informing local residents and strongly advising them to leave the area. |
| "Most are taking this advice and a rest centre has been established for those affected at Westfield Church on West Street, Bridgwater. The Royal Marines and search and rescue volunteers are assisting us with this. | "Most are taking this advice and a rest centre has been established for those affected at Westfield Church on West Street, Bridgwater. The Royal Marines and search and rescue volunteers are assisting us with this. |
| "Police will remain in the area to help those who wish to evacuate. Access into the village will be monitored and along with the fire and rescue service we will be patrolling the area." | "Police will remain in the area to help those who wish to evacuate. Access into the village will be monitored and along with the fire and rescue service we will be patrolling the area." |
| Jan MacEacharn is one of the residents who has decided to stay. She said the water had not yet entered her home. | Jan MacEacharn is one of the residents who has decided to stay. She said the water had not yet entered her home. |
| She told BBC Breakfast that she could not leave because she had a horse, cats and a dog that she did not want to leave behind. | She told BBC Breakfast that she could not leave because she had a horse, cats and a dog that she did not want to leave behind. |
| "Everybody in this village is in absolute devastation," she said. "There's not a single person in this village that has got their home left." | "Everybody in this village is in absolute devastation," she said. "There's not a single person in this village that has got their home left." |
| Farmer Jenny Winslade said she and her family had been forced to leave their home and move 550 cattle off their farm. | Farmer Jenny Winslade said she and her family had been forced to leave their home and move 550 cattle off their farm. |
| "The water is rising at an unbelievably fast rate," she said. "The EA (Environment Agency) have completely lost control of the situation and it's a disaster zone out there." | "The water is rising at an unbelievably fast rate," she said. "The EA (Environment Agency) have completely lost control of the situation and it's a disaster zone out there." |
| She said the family had been flooded for almost six weeks. | She said the family had been flooded for almost six weeks. |
| "If Lord Smith wanted to talk to us maybe he should have come three or four weeks ago," she said. | "If Lord Smith wanted to talk to us maybe he should have come three or four weeks ago," she said. |
| When asked what she would say to Lord Smith, Ms Winslade replied: "He's ruined our lives, he's ruined our business, he's ruined our friends' lives. | When asked what she would say to Lord Smith, Ms Winslade replied: "He's ruined our lives, he's ruined our business, he's ruined our friends' lives. |
| "Because of his neglect entire villages out here on the Levels are in a desperate, desperate situation." | "Because of his neglect entire villages out here on the Levels are in a desperate, desperate situation." |
| Military support | Military support |
| Police said it was uncertain how long people who were evacuated would be out of their homes. | Police said it was uncertain how long people who were evacuated would be out of their homes. |
| Plans are being put in place to decide which homes need to be evacuated in nearby Fordgate. | Plans are being put in place to decide which homes need to be evacuated in nearby Fordgate. |
| There has been flooding in other areas of the country, including parts of Essex, Kent, Oxford, Surrey, London, Guernsey, and south Buckinghamshire. | There has been flooding in other areas of the country, including parts of Essex, Kent, Oxford, Surrey, London, Guernsey, and south Buckinghamshire. |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
| Meanwhile, the Met Office has severe weather warnings in place for rain and wind in south and south-west England, the south Midlands and south Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has a flood alert for Tayside. | Meanwhile, the Met Office has severe weather warnings in place for rain and wind in south and south-west England, the south Midlands and south Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has a flood alert for Tayside. |
| The Environment Agency has two severe flood warnings - meaning "danger to life" - in the Somerset Levels, at Salt Moor and North Moor including Moorland, and at A361 East Lyng to Burrowbridge. There are also more than 140 flood warnings across England and Wales, and more than 300 flood alerts. | The Environment Agency has two severe flood warnings - meaning "danger to life" - in the Somerset Levels, at Salt Moor and North Moor including Moorland, and at A361 East Lyng to Burrowbridge. There are also more than 140 flood warnings across England and Wales, and more than 300 flood alerts. |
| BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood said that as the afternoon continued there would be a build-up of cloud, some showers before the rain would "steam in" accompanied by "gusty winds". | BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood said that as the afternoon continued there would be a build-up of cloud, some showers before the rain would "steam in" accompanied by "gusty winds". |
| On Saturday "expect 70mph around the Welsh coasts, the south-western approaches and the English Channel, but anywhere with a bit more exposure we could easily see 80mph gusts," she said. | On Saturday "expect 70mph around the Welsh coasts, the south-western approaches and the English Channel, but anywhere with a bit more exposure we could easily see 80mph gusts," she said. |
| There will be "a lot of showers, some of those heavy and squally with hail and with thunder", she added. | There will be "a lot of showers, some of those heavy and squally with hail and with thunder", she added. |
| The Met Office said it was the wettest combined December and January for more than 100 years. Rain fell on 23 out of 31 days in January across the UK. | The Met Office said it was the wettest combined December and January for more than 100 years. Rain fell on 23 out of 31 days in January across the UK. |
| On Thursday, the government pledged an extra £30m for flood repairs and maintenance as the prime minister defended the government's response to the storms. | On Thursday, the government pledged an extra £30m for flood repairs and maintenance as the prime minister defended the government's response to the storms. |
| The money is for this year, on top of an additional £100m previously announced to be spent next year. | The money is for this year, on top of an additional £100m previously announced to be spent next year. |
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