28/12/2015 BBC News at Ten

Britain's flood defences are now in need of a complete rethink,

Northern England is still badly affected there are 9 severe flood

warnings in force, including at least 5 in the York area.

David Cameron was visiting York today where hundreds of people have

He said extra measures could be considered.

After any of these events we should look at what we are planning and

think, do we need to do more? Also today: in Essex an 81 year-old

woman is shot dead at a care home - We report from the city of Ramadi

where the Iraqi army says it's now in control having dislodged

so-called Islamic State. And in Durban, England's cricketers

are in a commanding position after the third day of the first

Test against South Africa. Britain's flood defences are in need

of a complete rethink following the widespread flooding

in parts of northern England, The call was made as the prime

minister visited the city of York where hundreds of people have been

forced out of their homes Mr Cameron said the government

would look carefully at suggestions There are 49 flood warnings in force

across northern England with 9 severe flood warnings,

at least 5 of them in the York area, so let's

join our correspondent The water is receding. The

Environment Agency tell me that from its peak the River 5.2 metres by

tomorrow lunchtime, they think it will have dropped by about 0.5 metre

to everyone's great relief. But there is still a great deal of

standing water around York, and that has affected everyone in one way or

another. There are emergency teams here from around the UK who have

been working flat out. But communications up and down, phone

lines affected, and it has been difficult for everyone, even if you

have not been directly flooded, there are businesses that cannot

process card payments. Dabbing queues at the banks. Just living in

this city, getting around and living and working is really difficult. For

the people of Europe, it has been a really challenging day.

It's only from the sky that you can appreciate the expanse of ground

covered by these floods, and it's from the air that help

The only way to bring this equipment in is by air,

because all along this stretch of the River Foss,

The River Foss flood barrier failed here on Boxing Day.

The Environment Agency says it chose to leave the gate open as keeping it

closed would have caused even more properties to flood.

The airlift brought new equipment to get defence is working again

with the aim of pumping water away from the River Foss,

which has not flooded here since the 1980s.

With such widespread flooding has come a massive emergency response

involving soldiers and rescue teams from across the UK.

Meeting some of them the Prime Minister defended his

government's spending on flood protection.

Here in Yorkshire for instance we have spent ?100 million on flood

defences since I became Prime Minister.

We are planning to spend another ?280 million,

That is obviously of no comfort to the people who have been flooded

All of our hearts go out to them, because to be flooded

It is even more terrible when it happens at Christmas

Meanwhile out in the City centre the rescuers continue.

Wheels are no use along here, and travelling by boat is the only

way for teams like this one from the West Midlands

We have been deployed three times in the last 12 hours,

ranging from medical emergencies, assisting the ambulance

crews to get people from the addresses that are already

All day, those stranded in their homes have been

Whether by boat or by piggyback, the job to get absolutely everybody

The River Ouse is expected to peak within the next hour.

Yes, they have join our correspondent Dan Johnson.

Yes, they have just got through another high tide. The water is up

against the bridge, but it does appear that this town and the

villagers are wrong as part of the River Ouse have been spared. That

does not mean that people have not felt the impact of the water. It has

affected many different people in all kinds of ways.

What does a farmer do without dry land?

The boat has replaced the tractor before.

Hopefully in the next few days we will start getting rid

the wheat fields that Chris relies on, doing an important job.

Up there is the river, overflowing the banking,

that is the flood defence and it means that all of the water

is filling up the fields and it looks dramatic but this

is what is supposed to happen, it's a flood plain in action.

That means the town, Selby, stays dry.

Even when the river is at peak level, but those who live closest

to it are still left feeling vulnerable.

Hoping more water doesn't pour through the defences.

I have been here for seven-year is but I've never seen anything

Karen's home is a downstairs riverfront flat.

If the water comes in, she has nowhere else to go.

We all come together like we are as a neighbourhood,

and hopefully have something resolved and hope it doesn't

I would say the Army probably need to come down and actually get

Even escaping all of this has been difficult, there has been disruption

to traffic and trains because main bridges are closed.

Back on the farm it will be a few weeks before it is even possible

to work out if the crop can be saved.

It is becoming a sight that we are seeing quite regularly.

It is just something you accept as part of it?

We can't do anything else except accept it.

It is not expected to go much further, even when the River

They may be over the worst, but few here will rest easy,

fearing in the days to come that more water will be

As we heard the Environment Agency has called for a complete rethink

of Britain's flood defences along with extra measures including better

waterproofing of homes and improved warning systems as experts warn that

extreme weather is likely to become even more familiar

The Government has already said it will spend ?2.3b on flood defences

by 2020, as our science editor David Shukman reports.

The astonishing sight of a torrent running down a hillside in the Peak

A glimpse of the huge volumes of water causing such

The emergency response is now well drilled.

The sight of rescue teams all-too-familiar, but these seem

to raise questions about why the defences were overwhelmed

in the first place and a major review is now underway.

We always, after instances like this, look at what happened,

what we can take from that, but we need to do differently

This will be no different to any other incident we have

Many of the challenges are nothing new.

In 2007, serious flooding in the north and west of England

left 300,000 people without running water.

There was a detailed study back then into what went wrong.

That review into the flood defences in the country called for a long

list of improvements but have lessons been learned since then?

The study called for better coordination between the emergency

services and far better equipment like the inflatable boats

It also wanted key infrastructure far better protected.

Roads, rail lines, power networks, many have been flooded

And it said sandbags should no longer be relied upon.

That new technology using plastic or metal should be used instead.

But even now sandbags are still proving vital.

This comes as many people claim the areas hit hardest in northern

There is a real discrepancy people are starting to get angry

in the levels of funding going into the North compared

I think council leaders will come together and work to lobby

The Government denies this, pointing to this map of flood

Those marked in blue are being planned and it says

a ?2.3 billion budget is being spent fairly.

But as the floodwaters linger and the calm conditions today make

way for another storm tomorrow night, the arguments will intensify.

Over how much is spent on flood defence and where.

In the day's other news: police in Essex say an 81-year-old woman

has been shot dead allegedly by a relative at a care

A murder inquiry has been launched and a man

Our correspondent Daniel Boettcher has sent this report.

De La Mer House is a care home in Walton-on-the-Naze just a short

This morning police were called after reports that a woman had

Officers and ambulance crews arrived.

She had apparently been shot, allegedly by a man who is also

It is an unusual investigation, both parties involved are residents

Forensic recovery and some enquiries.

The manager of the home described how she managed to get hold

of the weapon after the alleged attack.

First of all I thought it was not real, I thought it was a toy gun

and as I got closer I could see it was real.

I was aware I had staff behind me and there were

All I can remember thinking was somehow I've got to get the gun.

Police say a revolver has been recovered and a man in his 80s has

been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police say he and the woman

who died were related. Officers have been speaking to staff to establish

what they may have witnessed and have also been comforting those who

worked here and helping them to reassure residents. Denied the

police enquiries continue, but officers say they are not looking

for anyone else in connection with their

The Iraqi prime minister has declared that 2016 will see

the total defeat of so-called Islamic State in Iraq.

Haider al-Abadi was speaking after Iraqi forces backed

by coalition air strikes had recaptured the city of Ramadi

which lies to the west of Baghdad from IS.

Our correspondent Thomas Fessy has travelled with the Iraqi forces

The remains of Ramadi, a city just sent this report.

The remains of Ramadi, a city ravaged by war. This is a place that

has suffered over a decade of sporadic conflict, but a week-long

battle against so-called Islamic State has destroyed the urban

landscape. We set off with Iraqi forces as they continue to secure

the city. They have cleared the main streets, but tension is still high

so we were only allowed out of the convoy for a few moments. This is

what Ramadi looks like one week into the offensive against Islamic State.

We cannot really wander out of the main streets because there are still

hidden expose of devices and booby traps all around in the

neighbourhood. Iraqi soldiers have come a long way. This is then

abandoning the city to Islamic State fighters in May. They were trained

by coalition forces over the last by coalition forces over the last

few months and mounted an offensive with Sunni tribal fighters to retake

the city. The US, Britain and the coalition partners conducted it

strikes to aid their advance. The Iraqi flag is back on top of the

former government building here, only a few pockets of resistance

remain. This success will boost the morale of Iraqi forces, so far

conceded not up to confronting Islamic State. TRANSLATION: There is

no big challenge with Daesh, and if we take the whole of the problems we

can move on to Mosul. We are providing our forces with weapons.

This is what it took to reclaim Ramadi. Iraqi troops are close to

victory here, but the city has been sacrificed in battle. This has been

the most significant ground campaign against Islamic State so far, but it

has taken months to see it start, and the battles ahead will only get

tougher. Cricket, and England

are in a commanding position after day three of the first Test

against South Africa in Durban. The home side were bowled out

for 214 before the tourists built a second innings lead of 261

as Patrick Gearey reports. Stuart Broad is now a bowler of such

stature that it seems his reputation is enough to break

a batsman's concentration. Second ball he was still getting

loose - loose enough. England would need more

than the Broad brush. JP Duminy then Kyle Abbot

foxed by the spin. That left Dean Elgar

conducting the South African but there was no

lasting accompaniment. England finished their morning's

work with a new ball. Six wickets taken,

a lead of 89 runs. South African chances now

depended on their bowlers, but Dale Steyn succumbed

to the strain. Alex Hales attempted

to put him in his place. Unfortunately for him that place

was in the hands of the fielder. If South Africa had any grip

on the game, was this the moment Jo Root was pardoned

by AB de Villiers. In his second life Root was a freed

man, taking England further There are regular updates throughout

the night on the BBC News Channel. But here on BBC One,

it's time for the news