Weather: Compensation Boost After Power Cuts

Households hit by power cuts after the Christmas storms will get extra compensation, one of the country's biggest power distributors has said.

UK Power Networks - which owns electricity lines in London and the south east - said it would compensate those affected by long-term cuts "as a gesture of goodwill".

It promised that those without power for 48-60 hours over Christmas would get £75 back, instead of the industry standard £27.

Around 4,000 homes were still without power on Saturday morning, according to The Energy Networks Association (ENA).

Meanwhile, the misery continues for many. Some 130 flood warnings remain in place across the UK and weekend showers are likely to delay the clean-up at flood-hit homes.

Across England and Wales 85 flood alerts are in place in addition to another 24 urging residents to take "immediate action".

In Scotland, 18 flood warnings and 8 less serious flood alerts have been issued.

Weather forecasters say Saturday's showers will mainly affect western and southern England, Wales and parts of Scotland before a light storm moves in tomorrow.

David Cameron was confronted by angry flood victims in Yalding, Kent

:: Watch Sky News to see weather forecasts on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

Efforts to deal with the chaos caused by the first storm on Monday were hampered by the arrival of a second storm on Boxing Day night.

Yesterday, power companies were condemned for failing to restore supplies to tens of thousands of UK homes - some of which had been without electricity since Christmas Eve.

Around 5,000 homes are also without power across the Republic of Ireland.

In the south east of England, Prime Minister David Cameron was confronted by an angry flood victim as he visited one of the villages seriously affected.

There continues to be disruption to rail services

The unnamed woman said her local council had done nothing to help those who live in Yalding, Kent, where homes had been inundated.

In a heated on-camera exchange with the PM, the woman said: "We still have no electric. We need electric.

"As I say the council, from Monday we have been trying to contact them, but they have all decided to go on their holidays. Nothing."

Mr Cameron appeared rattled as he tried to defuse the confrontation by promising to contact the council himself.

The network operator's promise to have everyone affected by the Christmas Eve storm back with power by the weekend did little to quell the anger of customers.

A tree rests on a power line in East Peckham, Maidstone, Kent

Stephanie Chapman, 54, from Yalding, said she wished she had been given more warning about the floods.

ENA spokesman Tony Glover apologised to those affected by the storms, but highlighted the difficulties technicians had been facing.

He said: "The problem was that not only did we have a storm followed by torrential rain, but huge amounts of flooding afterwards.

"That impacted on our ability to get to the affected areas, and to get materials that we need."

Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations at Network Rail, said this week "has been one of the most challenging periods we have faced in recent times".

Some train disruption remains - the line from London to Portsmouth via Haslemere is blocked by four landslips near Liphook.

The Environment Agency has issued 130 flood alerts

The track at Ockley between Horsham and Dorking is also closed following a serious landslip, with Southern Railway saying that it will not be a "quick repair".

Track improvement work also means there is still no direct route between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport, with replacement bus services operating along some of the route.

Conservative MP for Hastings and Rye, Amber Rudd, criticised Southeastern trains for failing to provide a replacement bus service for her constituents in the commuter belt towns.

While Southern Railway was offering workers the option of commuting to London via bus and using Twitter to post updates, Southeastern services, including their communications, had been "lamentable", she said.

"So Southern have really done very well," said Ms Rudd. "I think it's partly because they've got Gatwick Airport on their tail wanting a better service.

Many homes have been severely damaged by the floods

"But Southeastern has not been anywhere near as good, and I have received a lot of complaints about them. They have been just too complacent".

The RAC has reported a 20% increase in breakdowns across the country, rising to a 40% increase in the south and South East between Christmas Eve and yesterday.

Meanwhile, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has warned people about going outside in the gales.

A spokeswoman said the service had taken half a dozen calls in Lancashire alone about people being blown over by the wind, though only minor injuries were reported.

NWAS said that, as a precaution, people should stay indoors, out of the windy weather.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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