A TEN per cent funding boost for flood defences across Yorkshire was agreed at a meeting yesterday.

It is a lot less than the 60 per cent increase originally requested from the Regional Flood Defence Committee by the Environment Agency, last month, and still significantly down on the 30 per cent suggested as a compromise when the first figure was rejected.

But it should be enough to shore up the banks of the River Derwent, in Ryedale, breached in June and November last year, as well as the River Ouse, which threatened villages around Selby.

Both areas will be given priority when an extra £1.65m flows into the budget for flood defences in April.

But, despite a £4m top-up from Westminster earlier this month, the Environment Agency estimates it is still £4.7m short of what it needs to deal with all the areas at risk across the Yorkshire region.

Yesterday, regional water manager David Rooke said: "It shows that the current system for providing flood defence funding is not working.''

Chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, Jeremy Walker, is also concerned about the long-term implications.

Meanwhile, people in York were surprised yesterday by the resignation of the man who led the city's emergency planning unit throughout November's floods.

John Simmons quit as news broke that he was under investigation by the City of York Council's internal auditors.

A council spokeswoman said: "The council carried out its own internal investigation and, subsequently, Mr Simmons has resigned."