The report made recommendations to protect York from future floods.

The police, City of York Council and Environment Agency were all criticised by the York Flood Scrutiny Panel.

The report makes 20 recommendations on how the authorities should respond to future flooding and says the public need to know more about flood warnings. About 300 homes were flooded in Autumn 2000 and around 25 roads were closed.

The recommendations include flood awareness training for councillors, better communication links with parish councils and the establishment of a media strategy for disseminating information during an emergency.

Homes evacuated

The council is to express its disappointment to the Environment Agency over the time it took to produce a flood strategy for the city.

Insurance companies came under fire for treating flood victims unfairly and unequally.

And the council is due to lobby local MPs to push for funding for future improvements.

"The panel believes that the recommendations made, if enacted, could reduce the effects of a flood of the magnitude experienced in 2000," the report stated.

The 2000 floods were the worst in York since records began and the River Ouse reached a height of 17ft 8�ins above its normal summer level.

Around 40 people were moved from their homes and two rest centres were opened in the city for flood victims.