UK only days away from losing £125m EU flood fund aid, says Farron

Lib Dem leader, whose Cumbrian constituency was badly hit by December's floods, says government's failure to apply for funds is 'utter betrayal of victims'

The government has been accused of being too busy arguing about Europe instead of helping communities hit by flooding in the UK, after it emerged that it has only five days left to apply for a pot of at least 125m in EU funds to tackle natural disasters.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, whose constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale was badly affected by December's floods, said the government needed "to get its act together" before the 27 February deadline.