28/12/2015 BBC News

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

according to the Environment Agency.

Northern England is still badly affected -

there are nine severe flood warnings in force,

including at least five 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

to build, what we are planning to spend and think, do we need

Also today - in Essex - an 81 year-old woman is shot dead

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 Judith Moritz in York tonight.

Yes, the water is receding, the Environment Agency tell me. From its

peak the River Ouse hit 5.2 metres and by tomorrow lunchtime they think

it will have dropped by half a metre to everyone's great relief. As you

can see there is still a great deal of standing water around York, today

that has affected everyone in one way or another. There are emergency

teams here from around the UK working flat out. Communications

have been down and phone lines affected, really difficult for

anyone, even not directly flooded, there businesses who cannot process

card payments and queues at the banks, just living in this City,

getting around and living here is really difficult. Other people of

your kid has been a really challenging day. -- for the people

of York. 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 An RAF Chinook was flown in to bring

machinery to help repair The only way to bring this equipment

in is by air because all along this stretch of the River Foss,

the roads are extensively cut off. The 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 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 has been made 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 that are not accessible

by land ambulance. All day, those stranded

in their homes have been Whether by boat or by piggyback,

the job to get absolutely everybody Some 14 miles south of York,

the town of Selby is also threatened About 200 soldiers have been

working in the area - trying to improve the

town's flood defences. The River Ouse is expected to peak

within the next hour. For the latest, we can

join our correspondent Dan Johnson. Yes, they have just got through

another high tide here, the water is up against the bridge here but it

appears that the town and villages across this part of the River Ouse

have been spared. It doesn't mean people haven't felt the impact of

the water, it has affected all kinds of different people in different

ways. What does a farmer

do without dry land? Chris Elcock's family have

been here for 80 years. The boat has replaced

the tractor before. It is looking like it is

receding quite well now. Hopefully in the next few days

we will start getting rid But in the meantime,

five feet beneath the surface, the wheat fields that Chris relies

on are 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 years but

I've never seen 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 I would say, the Army probably need

to come down and actually Even escaping all of this has been

difficult, there has been disruption to traffic and trains

because the main bridges are closed. Back on the farm it will be a few

weeks before it is even possible to work out if Chris's

crop can be saved. We are getting used to it

the past few years. It is becoming a side

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 could 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 in the years ahead. The government has already said it

will spend ?2.3 billion on flood defences by 2020 -

as our science editor David Shukman The astonishing sight of a torrent

thundering down a hillside in the Peak

District. A glimpse of the volumes

of water causing such The emergency response

is now well drilled. The site 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 very 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

co-ordination 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. But you 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 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 the ?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 home in

Walton-on-the-Naze. 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 on the Essex coast, just a short

distance from the seafront. 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 Around forensic recovery

and some enquiries. Police have provisionally identified

the woman as 81-year-old Rita King. The manager of the home has

described how following the alleged attack, which she did not witness,

a man came towards her with a gun and she was able to persuade him

to hand it to her. 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 two

staff behind me and there All I can remember thinking

was somehow I've got to get the gun. Police say that a revolver

was recovered and a man in his 80s has been arrested on

suspicion of murder. Detectives say that he and the woman

who died were related. Officers have spoken to members

of staff to establish They have been comforting some

of those who work here and helping Tonight the police enquiries

continue but officers say they are not not looking

for anyone else in connection 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 Our correspondent Thomas Fessy has

travelled with the Iraqi forces to the outskirts of Ramadi and has

just sent this report. The remains of Ramadi,

a city ravaged by war. This is a place that's suffered over

a decade of sporadic conflict, but a week-long battle

against so-called Islamic State has We set off with Iraqi

forces as they continued They've cleared the main street,

but tension is still high, so we were only allowed out

of the convoy for a few moments. This is what Ramadi looks

like a week into the offensive We can't really wander out

of the main streets, because there's still hidden

explosive devices and booby-traps This is them abandoning the city

to Islamic State fighters in May. They were trained 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 air strikes The Iraqi flag is back

on top of the former Only a few pockets

of resistance remain. This success will boost

the morale of Iraqi forces, so far conceded not up

to take on Islamic State. TRANSLATION: There's no big

challenge with Daesh. And if we would take the whole

of Anbar province we could move We are providing our

forces with weapons. This is what it took

to retake Ramadi. Iraqi troops are close to victory

here but the city has been 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 His century of resistance

was a rousing response, 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 Joe 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