Allotment holders in the flood affected area of Oxford are demanding compensation from the Environment Agency.

Members of the Osney, St Thomas and New Botley allotment association have written to the agency's chairman, Baroness Young, this week to seek cash for damaged crops and tools.

Parts of the allotments are still under water, even though it is two weeks since the flood waters began to subside.

John Power, general secretary of the association, said: "The Environment Agency has flood defence as its central task, yet it fails that task monotonously and regularly.

"I'm a realist and I know they can't completely prevent flooding in this area.

"But there are measures they could have taken to delay it happening or reduce the damage done.

"There is still water on our site and yet they haven't been over to clear the drainage ditches or brought over a pump to clear it.

"I hope this shames them into action."

According to Mr Power, both allotment holders and the allotment association are thousands of pounds out of pocket as the plots cannot be insured.

He said: "I've lost a petrol lawn mower that cost me £199, while others have lost Rotavators and little things like pots and watering cans that floated off in the flood.

"We also run a community shop that helps us financially, but with the flooding it's been closed for the past four weeks, which has cost us hundreds of pounds, not to mention the value of all the crops that have been lost.

"Because of this we have a cash flow problem and we won't have any income until September when we collect rent, which we will have to hand over to the city council anyway."

Mr Power accepts that his claim for compensation might not be successful, but has suggested things the agency could do as payment.

He said: "I know that they probably won't compensate us, but there are lots of things they could do in kind. The river banks next to the allotment are crumbling down and desperately need repairing and the streams really need to be dredged.

"Both these measures would help to reduce the effects of flooding.

"These allotments are a big part of the fabric of the local community.

"We have been totally ignored and the fact that the Environment Agency's main depot is only yards away makes it even more annoying."

The agency declined to comment on the compensation claim, but said there was an ongoing river and stream maintenance programme.

An agency spokesman said: "In the last four years we have enhanced this programme in Oxford, and are currently investigating longer-term flood risk management options for the area through our Oxford Study.

"Dredged river channels will only convey low to medium flows.

"Above this the river will flow onto the flood plain, which is as much a natural part of the river as the channel itself."