A Government minister will see for herself the damaged caused by last month's floods to businesses in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire.

Abingdon and the Vale were among the worst hit areas of the county when the river Ock overflowed and the Thames rose to to levels that caused boats to moor up for more than a week before it was safe for owners to continue their journeys.

Minister Baroness Andrews from the Department of Communities and Local Government will be on a two-hour tour of the district today.

Her first port of call will be at the Kingscraft chandlery and marine services business of Len Baker near Abingdon Bridge. He hires out boats but business took a tumble during the floods and the raging river Thames.

From there Baroness Andrews will visit the Ock Mill pub and Premier Travel Inn in Marcham Road.

The Ock Mill suffered serious damage and remains closed only six months after a £500,000 refurbishment.

It is scheduled to re-open in two weeks' time. The Ock Mill provides breakfasts for guests at the Travel Inn that also closed for two days but has since re-opened.

Both properties fell victim to the nearby River Ock as did the White Horse pub at the bottom of Spring Road. The pub has since re-opened as has its restaurant that was closed for two weeks while it was refitted.

From Abingdon the ministerial party will move on to speak to the owners of the La Fontana Italian restaurant at East Hanney that also suffered flood damage.

Baroness Andrews will be accompanied on part of her tour by the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Dr Evan Harris. Also among the party will be the leader of the Vale district council Jerry Patterson, one of the council's two Strategic directors Tim Sadler, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet member with responsibility for Finance Charles Shouler and the president of Abingdon Chamber of Commerce Jill Carver.