Save my city: the axeing of once great Lancaster

First came the floods. Now comes the axe. As many as 10 museums face closure around Lancaster. Our writer returns to his home town to find shops boarded up and locals angry at having their city cut from under their feet

During the floods of last December, when the River Lune rose higher than at any point in living memory, Lancaster had no power for three days. There was no internet and no newspapers. The only source of information was the local radio station The Bay, which managed to keep transmitting after its staff carried equipment upstairs from a flooded studio.

The damage is still visible. Dozens of shops, restaurants, pubs and clubs remain closed. Citizens are despondent about how long the clean-up will take, and what such a mess does to a town still struggling after the last recession. There is also muttering about how things would have turned out if a Tory shire had experienced similar flooding. But that's not the only thing fuelling resentment.