ANGRY villagers packed a hall to confront council bosses over flooding misery.

Householders still mopping up after water poured into their homes in Milborne St Andrew, near Dorchester, confronted officers of North Dorset District Council, councillors and county council officials after they claimed they were a 'forgotten' village.

They were fuming that a flood alleviation scheme proposed two years ago failed to be given funding.

And they gave council chiefs an insight into the nightmare they have faced in a heated exchange last night.

But the district council's chief executive Alan Greaves told them: "We have no statutory duty to provide a flood alleviation scheme, which would cost around £260,000.

"We have no budget for this and would have to gather support from other organisations."

Local councillor Hilary Cox claims she was the only councillor to fight for Milborne's scheme in the district council's capital programme of 1999.

But villagers jeered as she pledged her support, saying: "I can't fight any harder than I am. I am doing my best."

And Bob Harper, head of technical services for North Dorset, said: "I was out there in the floods and I stood in many people's homes with them in tears.

"The stress I felt in dealing with the problems was nothing to what many of you felt."

Aubrey Smallwood, from the Causeway, which was badly hit in the recent floods, claimed the council paid lip service to Milborne. He added: "The council sold off its housing for £30 million recently - where has that been spent? I'm still living upstairs because of flood damage to my house."

His neighbour Harry Alexander said: "We were there to help, where were you?

"I called the emergency number at 11am and at 5.30pm sand arrived for our bags.

"Today there was an earthquake in South America and suddenly the British Government found money out of nowhere. Why can't they help their own?

"During the flooding, sewage burst out everywhere - our kids were playing in it. That's totally unacceptable."

But council officers said there were just six staff to handle sandbag deliveries.

Mike Handley, from Huntley Down, said he feared for his children, three-year-old Matthew and five-year-old Nicholas, as they walk to Milborne County First School in Chapel Street with his eight-months-pregnant wife Anita. He said: "There must be something we can do to stop traffic speeding through the water."

Roy Hogg, from Tilly Whim, in the village, told the meeting: "A survey in 1902 showed there were two culverts under the main road.

"There is only one culvert now and it has a bend in it which traps debris and leads to flooding."

Dorset County Council's highways manager John Bates said: "I'm aware there is a bend in the culvert and as soon as the water levels go down we shall be looking at what can be done."