County facing '£50m floods bill'

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More than 4,000 homes in the county were deluged by water as the Rivers Severn and Avon overflowed during the "worst floods" in modern times.

The Government has so far pledged £2.5 million to aid recovery in the area.

But Gloucestershire County Council said its bill would soar to somewhere between £50 million and £55 million, with some residents told they will be living in temporary accommodation until Christmas.

Council officials have written to the Prime Minister, outlining the latest estimate.

Julie Girling, spokeswoman for the authority, said: "We have had a positive meeting with the Government about funding of schools and damage to roads, but there are no firm commitments yet."

Repairs to more than 420 roads damaged in the storms will cost £25 million, she said.

It will also cost £2.7 million to repair more than 50 schools.

More than 500 businesses were directly hit by the floods, with a further 15,000 organisations recording profit losses because of water shortages.

The results of a questionnaire suggested that one in six Gloucestershire families had to move out of their homes because of the floods.