Taxman makes £440million profit in VAT from Britain's flood victims

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Householders forced to carry out repairs to their water-ravaged properties paid £525million in VAT for the work, according to figures from insurers.

Because the Government contributed only £ 86million to help affected areas, the Treasury netted £439million.

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Homeowners have paid out £525million in VAT for work on their flood-damaged properties

Nearly 45,000 homes - mostly in Hull, Sheffield, Gloucester and Tewkesbury - were deluged by sudden downpours in June and July last year.

Using figures from the Association of British Insurers, researchers calculated that householders affected in June paid £5,250 VAT on average repairs of £30,000.

Those hit the following month paid £7,000 for £40,000 of work.

Brian Berry, of the Federation of Master Builders, said: "If the Government really wanted to help get these flood-damaged communities back on their feet, cutting VAT would be a very good place to start.

"It is clearly very wrong that the Government should be profiting so handsomely from other people's misfortune."