The Prime Minister visited Cornwall yesterday to hear for himself the scale of damage from storms and flooding, and to say the tab will be picked up by the government, however, as usual, the devil is in the detail.

The damage bill to date is £21 million, and could easily rise if the adverse weather continues. 

Cllr Andrew Wallis says that during the visit, the Prime Minister ‘offered’ help with the repair bill, particularly via the Bellwin Scheme.

The current threshold for claims will be lowered, and in Cornwall’s case, instead of the 85 per cent maximum payout, it will be 100 per cent.

Cllr Wallis said: "This I very much welcome as without the help to carry out the repairs, the money would have to be found via Cornwall Council’s own budget. And we all know that is under real pressure.

"Though my understanding of the offer is that it is only for the emergency repairs and not the full repairs. That means Cornwall Council could still have to find at least £17m to repair the damage fully. As always, the devil is in the detail."