Ananova:

As the mopping up continues in southern England, it has been revealed that hundreds of thousands of new homes are to be built on Britain's flood plains.

The Environment Agency has confirmed that planning authorities across the UK are ignoring expert advice and approving housing projects in high-risk areas.

The agency says that unless there is a major policy change the number of people living in danger of flooding will increase from four million to six million by 2020.

Until recently, such land - usually alongside rivers and streams - was too expensive to develop. But the demand for space now makes it more attractive.

Planners have recently approved almost half of all applications that the Environment Agency said should be turned down because of flood-risk, according to The Sunday Times.