SEDGEFIELD Borough Council spent £9,086 dealing with the flood crisis last November.

A report to the council's scrutiny committee today says the authority bought and filled 5,000 sandbags and delivered 3,500 of them to properties.

The contract services department spent just over 530 man hours responding to calls of flooding.

Stag Lane, in Woodham Village, was identified as a prime area of concern and was sandbagged by council workers, although residents dug trenches to keep the flood waters at bay.

Two houses in Aycliffe Village, at Wellbank and Mill House, had to be evacuated on because they were in particular danger.

But areas of Chilton and Cleves Cross, Ferryhill, which had previously flooded, had no problems.

In the report, head of contract services John Ord says: The authority responded to all requests throughout the crisis and consequently no properties were penetrated by water.