Boris Johnson has 'massive amount of sympathy' for Mansfield quarry collapse victims

Sixty people are still displaced following the collapse on November 7, which saw about 1,300 tonnes of land fall from the quarry into gardens on Bank End Close in Mansfield.

Speaking on a campaign trip to the town, the Prime Minister said victims of the collapse need to receive the "maximum amount" of support from central and local government, and pledged that, if his party wins the election, he will "do everything we can" to make sure properties affected by last week's adverse weather are "restored".

It follows heavy flooding in areas of Ashfield and Bassetlaw as well as the quarry collapse, which Mr Johnson described as "horrific".

He says his government would be investing in "massive infrastructure" to protect flood-hit communities in the future, and announced a scheme to plant 30 million trees across the country.

He said: "We've invested massively in flood protections of all kinds, £2.6 billion into protection, and we have a big, long-term plan to invest into infrastructure and protect our country from flooding.

"I've got a massive amount of sympathy for the people in Mansfield who are affected by the landslip, it was horrific what happened, and clearly the people there deserve every possible sympathy.

"They need to be getting the maximum amount of help from the government and the council, and we'll do everything we can to make sure that their homes are restored.

"But for flooding, we need a long-term investment in defences. That means a government that is able to borrow cheaply to fund massive infrastructure, flood banks, which protect our communities.

"We also need a long-term plan of planting trees, especially on the higher ground, to retain the water and stop it moving down to the inhabited areas and causing the flooding.

"We're announcing a huge package of tree-planting, 30 million trees, and in the long-term this will protect the country against the effects of flooding and of climate change."

Geographical inspectors from firm Fairhurst remain on-site at the quarry collapse, where they are installing concrete blocks to protect more of the site from future adverse weather.