British government defends Hurricane Irma response which was 'as good as anybody else's'

The Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has defended the UK government's response to help British territories caught up by Hurricane Irma.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday 10 September, Fallon said that government was "not late" and their response was "as good as anybody else's".

It came after two MPs criticised the reaction times by the government.

In a letter to the Foreign Secretary Boris Jonhson and Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, the the Conservative chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat and the Labour MP Stephen Twigg both condemned the slow response of the government.

They wrote: "In Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Turks and Caicos, our response still requires improvement and the arrival of HMS Ocean in two weeks' time will be later than any of us would wish."

Currently there are around 120 British troops in the British Virgin Islands with a further 300 being sent to the other British territories.

As part of Operation Ruman, the government has formed a taskforce made up of troops, ships and aid to help those caught up in Hurricane Irma which has so far claimed dozens of lives.

This has included the arrival of Puma Helicopters, commando Royal Marines and aid equipment such as lanterns and medical supplies.

Irma has left a trail of destruction along the Caribbean since it first made landfall on Wednesday 6 September in Antigua and Barbuda.

Winds of more than 180mph and huge storm surges have flattened some islands. Florida is the next location due to be hit, with millions evacuated from the state.