A Euro MP has criticised the Environment Agency for treating flood victims in Craven as "second class citizens".

Timothy Kirkhope, Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, claims the Environment Agency has stated it will not provide funding for flood defences at Kildwick.

Mr Kirkhope says he was angered after hearing chairman of the Environment Agency, Sir John Harman, announce on a BBC radio programme that there were about 100 communities for which it was no longer cost effective to protect against floods.

He claims Mr Harman said homeowners and businesses in the areas would simply have to seek individual solutions for flood protection.

However, a spokesman for the Leeds-based Environment Agency says that Mr Kirkhope has misinterpreted the information and that Kildwick is included in its long-term flood plans.

Mr Kirkhope says: "It is wrong that the people of Kildwick are treated as second-class citizens."

Kildwick New Church Centre and a number of cottages in the village were flooded last October when the River Aire burst its banks.

Chairman of Kildwick Parish Meeting, Keith Midgley, says: "We put a simple suggestion forward to the Environment Agency which would involve placing bunds to protect the cottages and the church centre, but it seems the scheme is too minor to bother with. They (EA) have done something to get all four river arches to allow the water to flow. It's minor and we have reservations as to whether it will be enough."

Mr Midgley says that "islands" of debris left over from the last floods need to be cleared from the river bed.

An Environment Agency spokesman says: "As far as the agency is concerned Kildwick is in the North East Region's 10-year long-term plan for flood defences.

"Detailed options will be progressed subject to funding being made available by the Yorkshire Flood Defence Committee.

"The 100 or so places Sir John referred to are, on the whole, locations with between one and six properties. It is clear that building defences to protect one or two properties cannot be a priority given the number of areas when tens and even hundreds of properties are at risk.

"It doesn't mean there is no help for these individual properties.

All options are considered when detailed strategic reviews are carried out on a river catchment, so while a property may not have a defence wall at the bottom of the garden, the introduction of a washland further upstream may provide protection."

Silsden, Steeton, Cononley, Farnhill and Lothersdale were all hit to varying degrees by last autumn's devastating floods.