A call has been made for government intervention to stop council tax bills being hiked to cover the rising costs of trying to prevent flooding in Norfolk.

Four of the county's MPs, including former prime minister Liz Truss, are urging chancellor Jeremy Hunt to step in to review the way levies internal drainage boards (IDBs) use to manage water levels are funded.

Eastern Daily Press: Chancellor Jeremy HuntChancellor Jeremy Hunt (Image: PA)

There are more than 10 different such public body boards in Norfolk, managing flood risks and drainage in different catchment areas.

Up until 2016, the levy those boards, which are public bodies, impose on councils to pay for their work, such as building new pumping stations and clearing streams, was reimbursed by the government.

Eastern Daily Press: The internal drainage boards use money to build pumping stationsThe internal drainage boards use money to build pumping stations (Image: Balfour Beatty)

But, since then, councils have been expected to pay for it using their own revenue, including from money generated by council tax.

READ MORE: Norfolk Broads villages deal with floods after Storm Ciarán

With chancellor Mr Hunt soon to announce the local government finance settlement - how much money each council gets from Whitehall - MPs are urging the Treasury to take action.

Eastern Daily Press: South West Norfolk MP Liz TrussSouth West Norfolk MP Liz Truss

South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss has written the letter, signed by other Conservative MPs, including South Norfolk's Richard Bacon, North West Norfolk's James Wild, Great Yarmouth's Sir Brandon Lewis and Suffolk Coastal's Therese Coffey.

The letter seeks "a more sustainable solution to the funding of Internal Drainage Boards, to provide all, but particularly smaller councils, with reassurance that service cuts and council tax increases are not the long-term plan when it comes to IDBs”.

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Eastern Daily Press: Work undertaken by King's Lynn Internal Drainage Board to cut reeds from a streamWork undertaken by King's Lynn Internal Drainage Board to cut reeds from a stream (Image: King's Lynn Internal Drainage Board)

Ms Truss said she feared councils were increasing council tax to cover the levy being paid to the boards.

West Norfolk Council has recently lobbied for change, with the authority saying it has to pay £3m a year to the boards.

A rise in revenue costs are expected to leave the authority with a deficit of £500,000 by the end of the financial year and money from reserves used to plug the gap.