ENVIRONMENT Secretary Hilary Benn has been praised for acting swiftly to help flood-hit farmers.

Within hours of hearing the plight of farmers during his visit to the Great Yorkshire Show, he suspended a condition that stops farmers using machinery or vehicles on waterlogged land.

Rosey Dunn, a board member of the North-East National Farmers' Union, who farms near York, said: "We are absolutely delighted that having just spoken to the Secretary of State on Tuesday, we have had such a positive response so quickly."

Mr Benn said farmers and the NFU had raised the problems caused by the ban on using machinery on waterlogged soil after the recent exceptional rain.

He said: "I have decided to lift this restriction until the end of the month. I hope this will help farmers who have been badly affected."

The ban is to protect soils from compaction and damage caused by vehicles when soil is too wet.

NFU president Peter Kendall welcomed its suspension, but also wants farmers to be allowed access to set-aside land following the floods. He said it could be used to allow specialist crop growers to plant more crops and to provide livestock farmers with alternative grazing.

An NFU delegation has met officials in the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss further measures.