A HIGH-profile Kirkby Stephen councillor has invited Prime Minister Tony Blair to Cumbria to see the extent of the devastation caused by the recent freak weather.

Cumbria County Council leader Tim Stoddard has contacted the premier in a bid to raise awareness of the suffering caused by the storm and floods that badly hit Appleby and Carlisle.

Coun Stoddard presented an emergency motion to last Thursday's full meeting of the county council appealing for the Government to make extra emergency funding available.

His motion also appealed for inspectors from bodies such as OFSTED and the Audit Commission to take the effect of the storms on the county into account in the short term when they assess the performance of schools and local authorities.

CCC officers estimate that the council may have to shell out well over £1m to repair some of the damage caused by the floods before they receive any financial help from the Government.

The authority is eligible for compensation under the Government's Bellwin Scheme, which provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities struck by disasters.

But the scheme does not cover capital costs and there is a threshold payment of at least £947,000 to be footed by the authority before it receives any assistance.

Addressing the council, Coun Stoddard said that he had written to six of Cumbria's MPs asking them to "use their best endeavours" with ministers to ensure that additional funding was available.

"Few, if any, authorities have the funding available even in reserves, to adequately address the scale of the problem, which must not be under estimated," he said. "Many public buildings, roads and highways, bridges and school buildings all need to be restored or rebuilt and work must begin as quickly as possible.

"However, it is important that this council formally calls on the Government for additional aid and special consideration in a number of ways laid out in the Emergency Motion."

Councillors also backed Coun Stoddard's motion and urged those who suffered financial hardship because of the floods to apply for cash from Cumbria Community Foundation's Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund Appeal.

l Meanwhile, David Maclean, the MP for Penrith and the Border, has written to the Prime Minister, United Utilities, the Environment Agency and the police to seek assurances that all will take an active role in ensuring that the disaster that hit villages in his constituency can be prevented in future.He has also asked the Environment Agency what plans they have for flood warnings and improvement systems in Appleby, Ravenstonedale and Eamont Bridge.