Prince Charles is taken on a dinghy tour of the main street in Toll Bar

His visit came as 250 people remained in rest centres around Doncaster where hundreds of homes are still flooded.

Prince Charles met families in Toll Bar near Doncaster where a huge pumping operation is in operation.

Meanwhile fire officials say thieves are hampering their work by stealing the metal couplings that link hoses.

The prince visited the nearby Adwick-le-Street leisure centre, which has been used as an emergency base for local residents forced out of their homes, and he unexpectedly took to a boat to see more of the flood damage at close quarters.

'Misery and horror'

Firefighters from 26 fire services around Britain are manning huge pumps which are removing 346 million litres of water per day from the area.

But they say the operation is being compromised because thieves are stealing metal couplings.

Phil Shillito, the operations commander, said the police were aware of the thefts and were investigating.

"It is a very dangerous thing to do," he said., "and it really hampers our work."

On Friday, the prince visited Rotherham and Sheffield to see for himself the problems the floods had brought to people and businesses.

Last week Prince Charles visited homes devastated by flooding

He first went to Catcliffe near Rotherham, parts of which were under 8ft of water early last week.

The prince toured affected houses and told residents how he "felt deeply" about the "misery and horror" they suffered.

He then visited the Sheffield Forgemasters plant in Sheffield's Lower Don Valley, where many staff were rescued by boat and helicopter after being trapped inside the building on the first day of the floods.

Hundreds of families in the city, as well as in parts of Barnsley and Rotherham remain unable to return to their homes due to the extent of the damage, despite the water returning to normal levels.

And police in Sheffield have set about the task of tracing a number of cars which were apparently stolen after they were abandoned in the flood water.

Earlier this week, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said spending on flood risk management and defences would rise from �600m to �800m in 2010/11.

In an update on the flooding to the Commons, Mr Benn told MPs that the floods would have a "continuing impact for some months to come".