An urgent investigation into the safety of all 1,800 bridges Cumbria was under way today after the heaviest rainfall since records began swept several away and claimed the life of a policeman.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday pledged an extra £1 million of government money to help flood-hit communities during a visit to Cockermouth, where rescue workers were still making door-to-door searches.
He praised the work of the emergency services and the community spirit of the people, which he said made him proud.
Meanwhile in Devon, a canoeist died after being pulled from the River Dart during yesterday’s stormy conditions.
People in Cumbria were advised not to return to their homes, as forecasters predicted more downpours over the coming days which could hamper the recovery effort.
Officer Bill Barker was directing motorists away from Northside Bridge at Workington when it collapsed and he disappeared into the swollen waters of the River Derwent at about 4.40am on Friday. His body was recovered later.
Cumbria County Council said inspectors visited the bridge last July for routine checks and found it to be structurally sound.
But all of Cumbria’s 1,800 bridges are now undergoing inspections in the wake of the floods.
Inspectors closed two more bridges yesterday - Station Road Bridge in Keswick and Workington Bridge, including the footpath which runs underneath - meaning 13 have now been shut across the county.
People were being urged to stay away from Calva Bridge in Workington which police said could collapse affecting power supplies in the surrounding area.
During his two-hour visit to Cockermouth yesterday, the Prime Minister toured the centre of the town and witnessed the devastation.
The town was strewn with debris from the floods, with cars coming to rest against trees from the force of the torrents, shop windows smashed and inches of sludge and silt covering the road.
Mr Brown pledged £1 million in extra funding, matching the money already offered by the regional development agency, saying: “We will do everything we can to support the local community in its hour of need.
“I have met people in the centre I have just visited showing great community spirit.
“A community is a thousand acts of kindness and friendship for each other. It is making me very, very, proud of this community.
“The emergency services have worked brilliantly, right across the board.” Earlier Mr Brown met flooded-out residents taking shelter at the Shepherd’s Hotel in Cockermouth.
Ann Burns (76) who has spent two nights at the centre, said: “He tries, I’ll give him that. We all need a bit of a lift. I’m going back to nowt. (sic)”
“I was one of the first ones evacuated and taken here, I hardly know what day it is. I’m not bothered, I’m still breathing.”
PA