Awkward scenes as PM heckled on visit to flood-hit South Yorkshire

Boris Johnson was heckled as he visited South Yorkshire for the first time since the region was hit by deadly floods six days ago.

There were awkward scenes as the Prime Minister met flood victims and troops aiding the relief effort, with a local resident telling him: “You’ve not helped us.”

Mr Johnson came under fire from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for waiting until Tuesday to hold an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the floods, which have inundated 850 properties and killed one person.

“I’m not very happy about talking to you so, if you don’t mind, I’ll just mope on with what I’m doing,” one woman told Mr Johnson as he visited the villages of Stainforth and Fishlake, near Doncaster.

She added: “You’ve not helped us…i don’t know what you’re here today for.”

Another woman said support was now flowing into the area, “but it’s all a little too late”.

The Prime Minister also faced shouts of “where’ve you been?” and “you took your time”, although some other residents thanked him for his visit.

Mr Johnson was told an offer of emergency payments of £500 per household and £2,500 per business were a “pittance”, with angry residents complaining of a lack of investment in flood defences.

“It took you over five days, you should have been there Saturday morning, having a meeting, making sure that these people get help and support,” he was told at a meeting with a group of people displaced by flooding.

Mr Johnson defended the government’s response, telling reporters in South Yorkshire: “If you look at what’s been happening since the flooding began, there’s been round-the-clock monitoring of the situation both at a local and national emergency.”