EMERGENCY Government funding is being made available to help a community affected by a landslip.

The top of Loftus bank, in east Cleveland, will have to be reshaped and the damaged road repaired following a landslide last summer.

Loftus relies on the A174, which runs along the bank. But, since the discovery of the landslip, vehicles travelling in and out of Loftus have been delayed.

Transport Minister Charlotte Atkins has approved £650,000 for reclamation work on the bank, which could start at the end of next month, and a further £450,000 for emergency road works to an access road to Cowbar village.

She said: "This is good news for the people of Redcar and Cleveland, who have had to cope with the disruption and inconvenience caused by these unforeseen natural problems."

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP Ashok Kumar said the Government money was welcome, but said last night it was deeply regrettable that Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council had twice failed to take up the offer of a meeting with the minister.

Councillor Eric Empson, council cabinet member for strategic planning, said it would have been completely inappropriate to have had a meeting before the council had a report on the full extent of the problem and the work needed to solve it