A GAP between North-East and South-East flood prevention funding will see five times more money per person being invested to protect homes in the latter, according to Government figures.

Significant differences in per capita spending on new flooding schemes between regions are revealed in the national infrastructure delivery plan.

Analysis by the Press Association of the six major projects and 23 programmes from next year reveals the share of the £4.1billion is set to be much higher per person for the South-East than anywhere else in England.

And shadow environment minister Alex Cunningham, whose own Stockton North constituents were affected by flooding in on 2013, has hit out at the disparity.

He said: "These figures will be of real concern to communities who feel forgotten by the Government, particularly those who have suffered several flooding incidents in recent years.

"If the Government are serious about creating a Northern Powerhouse, then they must invest in the infrastructure needed to keep businesses open and cities moving."

In the North-East, spending per person will be £33, a fifth of that being spent in the South-East, while the North-West - which saw some of the worst flooding this winter - will see £30 spent per person.

The figures, based on regional populations, show a per person spending of £167 in the South-East, almost double the £92 being spent in Yorkshire and the Humber, one of the areas badly hit by flooding this winter.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the per person figures were "misleading" because they did not take into account projects where the benefits would cross different regional boundaries, proposed schemes that were still being assessed and spending on maintenance.

She said: "Rainfall does not respect man-made regional boundaries so the Government spends money on flood defences and flood recovery where it is needed most, whether that's north, south, east or west."

The £2.7billion spending up to 2021 includes £2.3billion from central Government as well as "partnership" funding from other sources, she said.

"We are investing £2.3billion in flood defences in the six years to 2021 to protect the whole nation from flooding, a real terms increase on the £1.7billion invested in the last Parliament, and the Budget announced an extra £700million in funding.

"We are exceeding the Government's manifesto commitment by building 1,500 flood defence schemes that will better protect 300,000 more homes across the nation," she added.