PM defends government spending as cost of floods set to top £5bn

" Floods continue to bring chaos to northern England

" Environment Agency calls for complete rethink

" More wet weather on way as Storm Frank heads for UK

The cost of the winter floods across the UK will breach 5bn, with about a fifth of the bill falling on those with inadequate or non-existent insurance policies, a leading accountant has warned.

As the flood waters recede in York, Greater Manchester, Leeds and scores of towns and villages across the north of England, families were facing up to the scale of the flood damage on Monday.