Prime Minister visits flood hit town

Boris Johnson was talking over the issue of flood defences during a visit to Bewdley today, but was not met with a universal welcome as some residents heckled his arrival.

Mr Johnson visited Bewdley, one of the towns worst hit by recent flooding, and was taken on a tour of the flood defences by Environment Agency Staff.

Some onlookers shouted "traitor" at Mr Johnson, who has faced criticism for failing to visit flood-hit communities sooner.

Mr Johnson said he would "get Bewdley done" as he spoke to residents affected by the floods.

He said he was "so sorry to hear it" when he heard homes had been overwhelmed by as much as 2ft of water.

The PM spoke to the Environment Agency staff and said they discussed "what permanent defences can we put in and what's the business case".

He added: "What we're doing is we are doubling the funding for flood defences to £5.2 billion and we're also going to be looking at all the things we can do upstream."

The Prime Minister had stopped for a selfie with teenagers on a bridge before a man shouted for him to 'do his job', as he walked back to the river bank.

It was there he was given a demonstration of how the barriers work on Severn Side North.

The Prime Minister was then mobbed by the public as he continued on his walk.

A number tried to shake his hand and take photos as he made his way along the river.

He also met with members of the emergency services who responded when the water levels rose.

He joined them for a cup of tea and biscuits as he told them that the defence structures in the town were "pretty amazing".

Mr Johnson's visit comes after other towns along the Severn, particularly Shrewsbury and Ironbridge, were hit hard by the flooding caused by storms Ciara and Dennis.

There has been discussion and calls for permanent barriers in Ironbridge, although the Environment Agency says the current temporary defences are the "best long term solution", amid fears that permanent barriers would damage the World Heritage Site.