CASH help is being made available to householders hit by the flooding in the Ryedale area last week.

The local district council has agreed to allocate £10,000 to be shared between residents who were affected by the floods.

Businesses are also being offered help through a fund set up by the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

Pickering was among the areas particularly hard-hit by the deluge and money will be given to those who suffered severe hardship because of the rising water.

Pickering and District Rotary Club has joined forces with the local authority to ensure that the cash for residents - and any additional funds raised - will be available to those people who need it most.

They will be working closely with local people in an effort to ensure that the money is distributed quickly and fairly to those whose homes were damaged by the floods.

A telephone hotline - 01751-460313 - has been set up to ensure people can register for their share of the fund.

Ryedale District Council chief executive Jane Waggott said: "Our experience of flooding throughout the district has established that we need to work closely with groups such as Rotary Clubs to ensure that we can help the people who need it most.

"I am delighted that we will be working closely with the Pickering club to distribute this vital cash help to local people whose homes have been hit by the recent floods."

The president of the club, Richard Robertson, said: "We aim to seek to make life better for those members of our local community in urgent need of help."

Any businesses affected by the flooding can also receive financial aid from a fund being set up by Yorkshire Forward.

It will provide up to £2,500 per company for immediate recovery needs. Businesses will need to fill in a form to apply for this assistance which will be available from next week.

Contact 0800-022-6201 to register and receive more details