DRAINS and dykes are to be cleared and £10,000 put towards renewing hedges, fences and stone walls swept away in floods.

The work will be carried out by Ryedale District Council in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park villages of Hawnby, Snilesworth, and Bilsdale.

The floods, in June, caused extensive damage and the farmers were not insured for such devastation.

Chief executive Harold Mosley said the council was using part of a £261,000 windfall from car parking and recycling to fund the work.

The River Rye and its tributaries are to be cleared to help avoid future flooding.

Several other ideas were put forward for spending the money to the benefit of Ryedale residents including using it to cut council tax, and reducing car parking charges.

Councillor Keith Knaggs said he believed the council had a responsibility to help clear water courses but the cost could be as much as £150,000.

However, the council may get support for the work from the Government's emergency Bellwin fund.

Coun Knaggs said the council had already agreed to give £10,000 to help promote the revival of the tourist industry in the Helmsley area and he felt £10,000 should be earmarked to help struggling upland farmers renew their fences, boundary walls and hedges.

Councillor David Huntingdon said the Environment Agency had said it would not clear out drains and dykes where they joined the rivers, but doing so was a way of preventing future flooding.

* Helmsley Town Council is seeking photographs taken during the floods to add to its collection of historic events in Helmsley over the years. The council has been left collections of old photographs and those of the floods will be used in displays.