A LABOUR shadow minister visited Worcester today to insist more needs to be done to address the scourge of flooding.

Shadow DEFRA minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who is also the party's spokesman for food and farming, hit out at the condition of flood defence barriers, saying he believes as many as "two thirds" need repair jobs.

The Welshman, who is close to Labour leader Ed Miliband, visited Charlie's Cafe in Sidbury this morning where he met Mary Dhonau, the city-based flooding expert.

In February last year the county was once again struck by the rising waters, leading to 108 properties flooding and the main Worcester Bridge having to close.

During his visit he also called Worcester "a key battleground seat" for Labour, where Councillor Joy Squires is trying to overturn Robin Walker's 2,982 majority.

He also pointed to work by the independent Committee on Climate Change, which has done research suggesting two thirds of flood defences need some sort of repair.

He said: "We need to make flooding the priority for DEFRA, and more joined up thinking is needed.

"When you have the likes of the National Audit Office pointing to the Government falling behind with its funding for this, you know it's a concern.

"It's the maintenance of those flood defences that are the big thing, I'd suggest as many as two thirds, three quarters of them are in need of repair and that's a real worry, because that puts at risk 800,000 houses around the UK."

During his visit Mr Irranca-Davies called the badger cull "a disaster", saying it has cost taxpayers too much for little reward, and said dairy farmers need more Government protection.

"It has cost taxpayers £4,500 per badger culled, it's been a disaster for taxpayers and we've learned nothing from it," he said.

He also said the Government's Grocery Code Adjudicator, which offers protection to dairy farmers in getting decent deals from the big retailers, needs to become more extensive so third party processors are part of the clampdown.

He also said he wants to promote more locally-supplied food chains across the UK, highlighting the success of the sustainably-led M5 services at Gloucester which sources everything from the immediate vicinity.

"At the moment you get dairy farmers who walk away or go bust because they can't afford to make it pay," he said.

"There's several ways we can help, but that adjudicator needs to be strengthened so other parties in the supply chain are included."

Ms Dhonau said "flooding is the biggest natural disaster this country faces", and urged him to tackle insurance providers if he gets into Government.

"The average flooding insurance claim is £30,000, I am always on to them about paying these claims quicker," she said.

Mr Irranca-Davies, who also said councils should be given stronger powers over bus routes in rural areas, went to Feckenham, near Redditch, to meet a farmer after his city visit, before heading to Fazeley and then Burntwood, Staffordshire this afternoon.