Jason Manford criticises Government for 'failing flood victims' in Facebook rant at George Osborne and Owen Paterson

Pulling up trees and other erosive policies have led to flooding, he said

Mr Manford said environment subsidiaries have being "going to the wrong people for the wrong thing" (Facebook, Jason Manford)

The comedian Jason Manford has accused the Government of failing flood victims because of "erosive policies".

In a Facebook message ahead of a charity comedy gig, Mr Manford accused the present and previous governments of collective responsibility for poorly thought-out emergency funding.

But he singled out Chancellor George Osborne, and Owen Paterson, the former Conservative environment secretary, for failing to remember that they are not "in power" but "in office" and work for the people they represent.

"How can George Osborne live with raking in millions on the VAT [that] victims have to spend on flood defences?" he asked.

The 8 Out of 10 Cats panellist also said Mr Paterson had signed off policies which made flooding, which has particularly affected north-eastern areas of England and northern Wales, more likely.

"Owen Paterson, the former Environment Secretary, had the chance to fix all these wrongs yet they're still paying farmers to rip up trees leaving the land bare and without natural flood defences!" he wrote.

Mr Manford, who is from Salford in Greater Manchester, pointed his readers to an article in The Guardian which reveals that water is absorbed much faster where there are trees with deep roots.

Yet government policy requires farmers to have no "unwanted vegetation" to receive their single farm payment - a large agricultural subsidy - according to the article.

It also says dredging, straightening and walling off rivers from surrounding flood plains has increased the fast flow of water straight into towns, making severe flooding more likely in these places.

Some Facebook users, who shared Mr Manford's post almost 2,000 times and liked it more than 8,000 times, said that less money should be spent on overseas aid and more spent at home.

Others disputed this idea, saying waging war and tax avoidance was more to blame for poor funding choices.