AN SOS was on its way to the Government last night after a failed bid for better flood protection for a vulnerable village.

Town hall chiefs at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council applied to the Environment Agency last month to upgrade Skinningrove Beck from an "ordinary watercourse" to a "main river".

Had it been successful, the bid would have paved the way for an early flood warning system, as well as possible extra funding for flood defences.

But, for the second time in three years, the request has been turned down by the agency.

Councillors fear the decision could mean a repetition of recent severe flooding in the village. They are writing to Environment Minister Chris Mullin to appeal.

Councillor David Walsh, the council leader, said: "We are not happy with the agency's response, which we see as ducking their own national responsibility."

Dr Ashok Kumar, the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP, said: "I will be contacting Chris Mullin about this issue and asking him to intervene." The criticism comes after plans for a revised system of flood warning codes, due to take effect on September 12, were announced by the Environment Agency.

Under the scheme, the former yellow, amber and red warnings will be replaced by "flood watch", "flood warning", "severe flood warning" and "all clear" classifications, which will be extended to cover non-coastal areas. Coun Walsh was sceptical that they would work in Skinningrove.

"We do not believe the advance warnings will be of much help," he said.

"To issue flood warnings on the basis of expected rainfall on the North York Moors seems to be too general.

"There was no warning on the day Skinningrove was flooded, Sunday, July 2, and there is no guarantee that we will be in any better position now."

The Environment Agency's decision means that safeguarding the beck from flooding remains the council's sole responsibility.

The agency argued that July's flooding was "a combination of heavy rainfall and blocking of flow paths caused by a build-up of debris".