GREEN Party leader Natalie Bennett visited Otley this week to meet supporters and hear about the recent floods.

The politician was in town as part of a tour of the area ahead of the party's Spring conference in Harrogate later this month.

She met local supporters at Wharfemeadows Park, by Otley Bridge, and also heard from resident, Mel Metcalfe, about the impact of the dramatic Boxing Day floods.

Mrs Metcalfe, who helped co-ordinate help for those worst affected, spoke of the emotional, as well as practical, impact on people whose homes had been flooded.

But she also described the "amazing" reaction from the community, which saw workmen, residents, companies and politicians – of all stripes – pitching in.

Flooding was caused by the River Wharfe bursting its banks following heavy rain, but was compounded by water pouring down from higher ground.

Otley's first Green town councillor, Mick Bradley, is hoping to repeat that feet at ward-level in the Leeds City Council elections in May.

He told Ms Bennett: "We had a lot of water coming down from the two becks on the hill north of the river, and also had saturated ground from earlier floods, so, we had this combined effect."

Ms Bennett said over-intensive land management, such as that done to maintain grouse shooting moors, contributed to flooding by removing plants that were naturally highly absorbent.

She added: "We need to slow the flow and stop the water higher up in the hills."

But she had no doubts the major cause is global warming.

Ms Bennett added: "We're looking at a one degree warmer world now – we're one degree warmer than we were at pre-industrial levels and we're seeing what that looks like.

"It can have a serious impact on people's lives, as we've seen here in Otley, and not everywhere's as lucky as Otley to have such a strong, supportive community."

Turning to her party's likely fortunes in May's city council elections, she said: "Last year, we had a Green surge – our membership trebled and we had more than a million votes at the election.

"This year, we want to turn that support into seats and, at Leeds City Council, where we have three councillors, we're looking towards doubling that.

"I think people are fed up with the old politics and looking for a change.

"Mick's made the leap in Otley, where I've no doubt he's a great town councillor, and he would make a great city councillor."

The party won 1,157,613 votes at last year's General Election, a record result, but one that still left them with just one MP.