Insurers foot £3bn floods bill

Insurers facing hefty claims say the government has to do more to improve the country's flood defences.

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Last month's floods have left Britain's insurers with a £3bn bill. Now they say the government has to do more to improve the country's flood defences and warn that even normal rainfall could lead to further flooding because the flood plain is so saturated in some areas.

In a letter to the environment secretary the Association of British Insurers has called for a shakeup of the environment agency, another look at building new developments on flood plains and more money to be spent over the long term on improving flood defences.

With insurers now dealing with more than 60,000 claims after a summer of flooding, the industry is questioning why it's are having to shoulder the financial burden.

The government has increased spending on flood defences to £800m in 2010. But insurers says that isn't enough.

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