AN investigation into the cost of providing flood defences in two Ryedale towns has been launched.

Council officials are looking at how much it would take to install defences along Priorpot, in Malton, and Mill Becks, in Norton.

The price is likely to be significantly higher than first expected after it emerged that an estimate submitted by consultants last year was massively under-calculated.

A more recent estimate submitted by the same consultants has seen the cost of the project soar dramatically. The Environment Agency is building defences around the River Derwent, but responsibility for the adjoining becks lies with Ryedale District Council.

Councillor Linda Cowling was outraged at the discrepancy and said its implications could have been serious.

"We are using cash from our reserves to pay for this, but had we been borrowing the money we may have been in serious trouble," she said.

"I would like to know exactly why there was such a massive difference in the two estimates we were given."

John Davison, the council's head of contract services, said: "We have written to the consultants asking them for clarification and an explanation as to why there was such a difference in the figures.

"We have also put the project out to tender because we are keen to get a competitive costing."