The Prince of Wales has visited a Yorkshire village devastated by recent flooding to meet emergency workers and inspect the ongoing recovery operation.

Prince Charles spent two hours on the trip to Fishlake, near Doncaster, chatting to members of the public lining the street and looking inside badly damaged homes.

He also talked to volunteers at St Cuthbert’s Church, which is acting as a hub for donations for those hit by the flooding.

Clarence House confirmed that the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation had itself made contributions to flood relief funds in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

It comes after weeks of downpours last month caused major flooding, with the army called in to help the relief effort in stricken towns across northern England and the Midlands.

Doncaster Council, the local authority area which includes Fishlake, said 970 homes and businesses were affected.

Among those Prince Charles met in the village were firefighters, police officers and soldiers.

He also talked to farmers, who pressed him over what they see as a lack of river maintenance.

The prince had praise for the owners of a café which acted as a relief centre during the worst of the flooding.

He also went to the Hare & Hounds pub, where he was served a half of bitter.

The pub’s owners had helped those affected by the floods by sending round hot meals on boats.

One villager told Sky News: “We are really grateful that he’s come, I think it means a lot to people. It’s really helped lift their spirits.”

Another said: “Most people are out of their houses still and they need some money spending on the flood defences and things so it doesn’t happen again next year, so it’s good to raise the profile of it all.”

The visit came as the south of England faced further flooding over the weekend, with 60 properties flooded in the South East and about 30 in Devon and Cornwall.

Prince Charles also fielded question about the Duke of Edinburgh’s health during the visit, after his father was admitted to hospital on Friday.

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