Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has met residents affected by flooding in Oxford.

He spoke this morning (Sunday, January 7) to people on their doorsteps before visiting Environment Agency workers at their depot on Osney Island.

Addressing the media in front of the fast-moving River Thames, Mr Sunak said: “Flooding has been having a devastating impact on communities up and down the country.

“I was in the East Midlands last week on Thursday and I’m in Oxfordshire here today talking to some of those that have been affected, but also saying thank you to our first responders who were doing a fantastic job over the past week.

“We have over 1,000 Environment Agency personnel on the ground in local communities helping, over 200 pumps have been deployed.

“We’ve invested £5.2 billion in flood defences over the period in question – that’s a record sum, far more than we’ve done, in the future that’s contributed to protecting over 300,000 homes.

“And of course, there have been many people affected by what’s happened over the past week, but also over 49,000 have been affected by flooding.” 

Mr Sunak also met with Environment Agency (EA) workers at a depot.

Wearing a black puffer jacket and worn, brown Timberland lace-up boots, Mr Sunak said he had been speaking to other EA staff and added “touch wood, we’re past the worst of it”.

Speaking to six workers, four of whom were in high-visibility jackets, while overlooking the Thames, Mr Sunak said: “Gosh it’s very busy but largely you’ve been successful getting everything to safety?”

The workers responded: “Yes”.

Sunak added: “When it happens, it happens, you’ve just got to keep working.”

He was told the floodwaters started to rise sharply at the site on Thursday night.