UK floods: 'Weather will get worse before it gets better' - Eric Pickles

Heavy rains and strong winds in parts of the UK "will get worse before they get better", the man chairing the government's emergency response committee has warned.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said that Saturday's Cobra meeting had addressed the issues of pumping, shoring up defences and transport, to enable people in the south west of England to get back to work.

Mr Pickles also said that plans were being made to protect "strategic sites" around the Thames Valley, such as water works, electricity generators and parts of traffic infrastructure.