The phoney action-man image of Britain’s puffed-up Prime Minister David Cameron was blown away yesterday as the floods crisis mounted.

Labour MPs jeered in the Commons as a wriggling Mr Cameron repeatedly refused to reverse the axing of over 1,000 flooding experts from the staff of the Environment Agency.

Yet at the same time the PR-man Prime Minister had the gall to claim that “money is no object in this relief effort,” and there would be “no penny pinching.”

Amid mounting noise, Labour leader Ed Miliband challenged Mr Cameron three times to promise that he would reverse a further cut of 557 flooding staff due this year.

Three times Mr Cameron dodged the question.

Then he snapped back at Mr Miliband: “I am only sorry that he seeks to divide the House when we ought to be coming together for the nation.”

After weeks of indecision, Mr Cameron announced a series of panic measures offering minor assistance to people and businesses afflicted by floods.

“I have to say, things are likely to get worse before they get better,” he pleaded.

“All the military assistance that is required is there. People only have to ask,” he added.

Despite his frantic PR operation, anger grew yesterday among communities which have been largely left to fend for themselves while Mr Cameron and other politicians in wellington boots staged brief sorties accompanied by media cameras. 

The Met Office warned of more torrential rain, and issued its first “red warning” of the winter for winds of up to 100mph in Wales and north-west England.

Flood workers’ union GMB expressed concern over reports yesterday of the enforced withdrawal of Environment Agency staff in the face of bitter hostility from angry and desperate residents.

“This report of hostility from the residents on the Thames is a direct result of the irresponsible attack by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and others on the Environment Agency,” said GMB national officer Justin Bowden.

“Mr Pickles’s incitement has led to the very people on the front line who are actually helping to alleviate the situation bearing the brunt of people’s frustrations.”

The union Unite south-west secretary Laurence Faircloth urged a “joined-up, five-year reconstruction and development plan to rebuild the economic, transport and social fabric” of the flood-stricken area.

He challenged Mr Cameron’s claim that money would be no object.

“Unite would like to know if this will be new money or raiding the underspent budgets of other government departments.”

Government spokesmen were evasive about the source of the spending promised by Mr Cameron, but admitted that £31 million for rail improvements had already been announced last year.

Up to £5,000 will be available in grants to help property owners and businesses make their properties “more resilient” against future floods.

Just £10m will be available to help farmers recover from the floods, and businesses will be able to defer their tax and VAT payments for three months.

In addition, the big banks have agreed to make available up to £750m in extra loans to businesses and individual customers hit by flooding.