EMERGENCY services have been branded shambolic in their handling of floods at Otley and Pool-in-Wharfedale.

The Environment Agency and the police were left floundering during the worst floods to hit the area for 30 years, it has been claimed.

The recently re-launched Environment Agency Floodline failed to warn people at risk that the Wharfe had burst its banks.

The river remained on the lowest 'Flood Watch' at Otley and was never upgraded to 'Flood Warning' despite the flooding of main roads.

Marie Consoli, of Farnley Lane, Otley, spent most of Monday night warning people in Farnley Lane and Bridge Avenue.

Mrs Consoli, who watched the rising water levels on her property's closed circuit security cameras, said: "I was still up doing some work when I heard this tremendous roar. At first I thought I'd left a dishwasher on or something," said Mrs Consoli.

She then realised it was the river and the overflowing Kell Beck streaming down across Bridge End and into Farnley Lane.

"I started knocking on doors in Farnley Lane at around 1.30am. The water at that time was around eight or nine inches deep but there had been no call from the Environment Agency. Someone told me they had rung before midnight and had been told there was no problem.

"I knocked on doors until I was exhausted and my hand was cut to pieces. Some of the people were quite elderly and were quite shattered and alarmed," she said.

Mrs Consoli added that several people had called the police asking for help in controlling traffic and in getting sandbags.

"I rang the police to warn them what was happening but got no co-operation at all, I would really have appreciated a little help with all the door knocking.

"I rang 999 and asked if something could be done at Bridge End because a man was marooned in flood water but still we did not see a policeman."

Now, Mrs Consoli is calling for something to be done about Kell Beck to prevent it flooding so badly in the future.

"The majority of the flooding was caused by the becks, it seems so stupid to have these becks that will invade on our homes."

Councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Wharfedale) said several people had telephoned him to complain about the emergency services.

"What is the point of having an emergency warning system if its not used?

"Several people rang the Floodline and were told there was no problem and they're still being told there is no problem."

The Environment Agency has also come under fire for dragging its heels over a haulage boss's flood barrier scheme.

Stuart Thompson, of the Otley-based Thompson haulage firm, said if Agency bosses had agreed to his Castley flood

barrier plan earlier this year, the village might have been saved from flood damage this week.

Mr Thompson offered to build a barrier free of charge at Castley - the scene of tragedy five years ago when an elderly man drowned in his own home.

But although Agency representatives have visited Mr Thompson to see his plans, they say possible costs involved in the scheme may lead to it being delayed a year.

Mr Thompson said: "If they had agreed to it in June, it would not be finished, but we would certainly have had a lot done. It could have kept some of the water out. I know some people who live on a farm in Castley and they had started moving their furniture upstairs on Monday."

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said that the agency would be reviewing its warning system at Otley after this week's flooding.

She said warnings were issued depending on water levels hitting triggers at various points along the river.

"In the past at Otley we have issued flood warnings when the water has hit the trigger level at Grassington but it has not flooded at Otley. This time we didn't issue a flood warning.

"We will be reassessing our trigger levels for Otley."

A Spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said the situation at Otley was being constantly monitored by officers working in partnership with the Environment Agency.

She said road closures would have been implemented where necessary.

"There was no danger of severe flooding in the area and it was considered safe for people to stay in their homes."

l A flood warning was issued for Otley yesterday afternoon for the first time during the current crisis as the Wharfedale was going to the presses. Earlier, Farnley School, Thomas Chippendale and Ashfield Nursery and Infants schools sent pupils home early yesterday on police advice as roads flooded again.

l Full story and more pictures, see page four.