PM Gordon Brown announces extra £1 million assistance for Cumbrian Floods

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced an extra £1 million worth of funding will be issued to assistant the clean up process of the Cumbrian floods.

Mr Brown announced the funding on a trip to Cumbria, where he met rescue workers and residents that were evacuated from there homes.

Homes were being searched over the weekend as residents prepare themselves for more rain after England’s wettest day on record caused total chaos, flooding homes, sweeping away bridges and claiming the life of a police officer.  PC Bill Barker, a father of four, died after a bridge which he was standing on was swept away by flood waters in Workington.

The PM met with members of the emergency services at Penrith Police station, and thanked representatives from the police, fire and rescue service, army, county council and the highways and environment agencies for their superb response to the crisis.

He offered his praise to the way emergency services had come together and given the whole country pride in their efforts while offering his condolences to the loss of PC Bill Barker, describing him as a very brave and heroic man.

The investigation into the death of PC Barker was still in its very early stages according to the chief constable of the Cumbria Police, Craig Mackey.

The police officer who died had been directing drivers away from the Northside bridge when it fell and he disappeared into the fast-flowing waters of the River Derwent.

PC Bill Barker, a father of four, was swept to his death just one day before his 45th birthday when the bridge collapsed underneath him.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn described the heavy rain and floods which damaged up to 1000 homes and businesses as a once in a thousand year event.