Shocking figures have revealed that more than 100 properties are still empty as flood victims are waiting to return – nearly 10 months after Storm Desmond.

And the hardest hit area in the borough is Cockermouth, where 59 homeowners are still not back in their properties. Keswick and the surrounding area has 53.

Although these figures have stunned many, Sue Cashmore, chairman of Cockermouth Flood Action Group, is not surprised.

"It has only been in the last couple of weeks that I've heard of people moving back," said Mrs Cashmore.

"There are work vans dotted all over the town as work is still going on in various properties – it's a nightmare.

"The problem is that because so many houses got hit in such a large area, there's not enough workmen or materials."

There were 466 homes in Cockermouth flooded in December. One of those who has still not moved back home is Darren Ward.

Mr Ward has lived at Cockton's Yard, behind Main Street, for nine years and during that time has been flooded three times.

He says the current repairs are taking longer than in 2009 and thinks it's down to insurance companies not having as much urgency to complete the work.

The block of nine houses where he lives had a £10,000 cap between them to spend on temporary accommodation and once this was reached months ago, the insurance did not have to pay out.

Luckily Mr Ward has been living with his girlfriend so was not hit with extra rental costs and he hopes to move back home in a month's time.

"There seems no rush at all this time round," he said. "But things seem to have picked up recently and there's just a little to finish off."

When flood waters gushed into his three-storey property, it destroyed the kitchen on the bottom floor.

Mr Ward had building insurance, but no content and estimates he will have spent around £6,000 out of his own pocket, but hopes to claim some back through various floods grants.

At an Allerdale council meeting on Wednesday night, it was revealed that there has been 630 applications for flood grants across the borough and of those, 467 have been paid or approved, totalling more than £1.8million.