Hundreds evacuated in Cornwall floods

St Blazey, Cornwall

Heavy flooding in Cornwall has forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, while many more are believed to be trapped in their homes.

Some of the worst hit areas included Mevagissey, Lostwithiel, Launceston, Liskeard and Bude.

David Cameron, the prime minister, promised help for the affected areas, but there are fears that the flooding – designated a “major incident” by the Environment Agency – could worsen, with at least 10 flood warnings in force. Police said there was a “serious danger” of injury and asked people to avoid driving through the county.

The floods come at a delicate time for the government, as only weeks ago it reneged on promises to protect flood defences from spending cuts. At least one big flood scheme – a £100m plan to protect Leeds – is likely to be scrapped, the Financial Times has revealed, with dozens of others under review.

The budget for new defences and upgrading existing ones has been cut from £335m a year to £261m each year for the next four years. Extreme weather is becoming more frequent, says Chris Huhne, climate change secretary.