A PLEA for extra help is to be made to the Government on behalf of east Cleveland's flood ravaged villages.

Agriculture Minister Elliott Morley has agreed to meet a deputation from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council which is campaigning for special status for Skinningrove Beck which twice burst its banks last year, flooding the town and forcing mass evacuations from homes.

Council leader Councillor Dave Walsh, Councillor Dave McLuckie, lead member for community safety, and Ralph Ferguson, director of technical services, will press their case for the beck to be given National River Status, on Tuesday.

They will be accompanied by several residents of Skinningrove who will be able to give the minister a first-hand account of the misery caused by the floods struck in July, then again in November when lives were put at risk.

The special status would bring with it the benefits of advance warning of potential flood conditions, grant aid for defences, and active help from the Environment Agency.

The council has had to take £300,000 out of its coffers to install flood defences at Skinningrove and a further £60,000 at Loftus. This has been to the detriment of other schemes which have now had to be put on ice.

Coun McLuckie said: "We are going to see the minister to put our case for Redcar and Cleveland council for money for flood relief and flood defence.

"We will be asking that Redcar and Cleveland receives their fair share of the funds available.

"We also want to put our case that Skinningrove Beck is given National River Status.

"This status would give us the benefit of advanced warning, and the ability of the Environment Agency to look at the entire length of the beck to see what is happening.

"Skinningrove had a huge flood on July 2, and an even bigger one on November 2.

"If we got financial help with the defences we would be able to do a little bit towards reinstating the other programmes," said Coun McLuckie.

Water fed into Skinningrove Beck from a 30 square mile catchment area.

"What we are going to point out to the minister is we feel Skinningrove Beck should be upgraded,'' he said.