People in Cockermouth and beyond must shop locally to secure the future of the flood-hit town centre, a Government minister said today.

Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise Anna Soubry was in the town to catch up with businesses she visited in the wake of December's floods.

Visiting the Trout Hotel, Tony Harrison's Butchers and The New Bookshop, Ms Soubry said that, while tourism was important, local shoppers were the lifeblood of town trade.

She added: "Cockermouth's a lovely town with a great mix of quality shops and cafes.

"It's got everything going for it.

"We have got to make sure people who shopped here before the floods come back and it would be good to see more people from around the area coming.

"Sometimes there's a simplistic view to advertise that Cumbria's open for business.

"Obviously tourism's a feature but I visited The New Bookshop in December and every customer was a local."

During her visit to the businesses, which have received grants and other support from her department, Ms Soubry heard that the continued closure of the hotel was having a knock-on impact for trade across the town.

It is scheduled to reopen to the public in August, with limited functions this month.

Sue Eccles, managing director, told the minister some businesses would be holding their Christmas parties next month as they did not want to take them anywhere else after the flood.

Selling Ms Soubry some Cumberland sausage, butcher Tony Harrison said the reopening of the Trout would bring a lot more people into the town.

He added: "It hasn't bee easy but nothing is easy."

Mr Harrison, whose shop was closed for three days after the flood, is set to install flood doors and a cellar water pump in his business, thanks to a £5,000 government grant, and has received business rates relief from Allerdale council.

The New Bookshop was still trading when Ms Soubry visited the town in December.

It closed soon afterwards and had to have its fixtures and fittings removed because of water damage.

Owner Catherine Hetherington told the minister she hoped to reopen in August, having spent the last few months in smaller premises across the road.

She added: "The locals are our core trade. The tourist trade is an added bonus."

As well as urging locals to support the town, Ms Soubry said Allerdale council had a key role to play, led by businesses, in ensuring it was welcoming to shoppers.

She said: "It's really important that local government can bring traders together."

It could help promote the area by helping to put on special events and ensure the town has suitable car parking."

Ms Soubry, accompanied by Environment Agency flood risk manager Andy Brown, pledged to keep in touch with the businesses and took away their concerns about access to flood defences and access to insurance.

Talks an ongoing between the Government and the insurance industry to try to set up a scheme to enable businesses at risk of flooding to secure affordable cover.

Mr Brown said the Environment Agency hoped to remove gravel from the River Derwent in the next couple of weeks.

Work had been delayed by recent heavy rain, he added.