Appeals set up for flood victims

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Appeals have been set up in the north of England for victims of the June floods, as thousands remain homeless.

The South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Fund will raise money for those affected in Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield.

And the city council in Hull, where more than 16,000 homes were affected, has set up the Hull Flood Fund.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, who visited Sheffield on Thursday, will visit Hull on Friday.

Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu will also visit Hull, which has seen 10,500 homes evacuated.

During his visit to the city, which is part of his diocese, he will join Bishop of Hull the Right Reverend Richard Frith in meeting people forced to leave their homes.

We hope that funding collected through the appeal will contribute towards relieving some of the distress caused by the flooding across South Yorkshire Martin WinterMayor of Doncaster <a class="" href="/1/hi/england/humber/6274644.stm">Flooding drains, tears remain</a> <a class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/6275196.stm">In pictures: Hull floods</a>

On Thursday, Local Government Minister John Healey visited affected areas of Hull with local MPs John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, and Alan Johnson, the health secretary.

He said there was already financial aid in place for flood-hit areas with "more help on its way".

Parts of north Doncaster remain underwater on Friday with mayor Martin Winter expected to outline the town's next move in its battle to return to normality.

Mr Winter said of the South Yorkshire appeal fund: "We hope that funding collected through the appeal will contribute towards relieving some of the distress caused by the flooding across South Yorkshire."

As well as money, local residents are being asked to donate unwanted furniture to those affected.

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Hull City Council leader Carl Minns, who earlier dubbed Hull the "forgotten city" of the flooding, said: "There's a massive humanitarian disaster here that we've set up an appeal fund for - the Hull Flood Fund - and I appeal to people across the country to donate, so we can help those 35,000 [affected] people get back to normal as well."

He says it could cost more than Â£200m to repair the damage done to schools, public housing, doctor's surgeries, roads and leisure centres in the city.

Meanwhile, on Thursday a fire chief defended the crews who tried in vain to save a man trapped in grating in raging floodwaters in Hull last week.

Mike Barnett, 28, was trapped by the foot in neck-high water in Hessle for four hours, until he eventually died from hypothermia.

His family has said not enough was done by the rescuers to save him.

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