Floods leave woman's sofa 'floating' in living room

Clean-up crews outside one resident's home which has flooded for the second time

A woman who has "lost everything" for the second time due to flooding said she never wants to return home.

Joan Porter and her husband were among 42 people who had to leave their homes in Bootle, Merseyside after prolonged heavy rain on Monday.

Mrs Porter said the water inside her Bulwer Street home reached "about two feet high" and that her new sofa was "just floating in the living room".

The road flooded in 2010 and again in 2013, after which Mrs Porter said she had to move out and live in a hotel for three months.

Mrs Porter said she had been out shopping on Monday afternoon when her husband called her to say water was seeping into their house.

"It was just horrendous," she said.

"I thought, 'What are we going to do?'

"This is our home, it's gone now again, for the second time, the same reason it happened last time when we were promised it wouldn't happen again and it has.

"I don't want to come back in case it happens again. I couldn't stand it".

She said she was out of her home for three months last time but said she has "no clue" what is going to happen next, adding "it's a disaster".

Mrs Porter's possessions have been destroyed following the flooding

Merseyside Fire and Rescue said crews were alerted at about 14:40 BST on Monday to find surrounding streets involved with flooding.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue said fire crews helped people from their homes, some on a rescue sled.

John Smart, 74, who has lived on Bulwer Street for more than 30 years, was one of the 42 to be rescued by emergency services and taken to safety via a dinghy.

He said he watched the water flooding into his home.

Many residents have been evacuated after the road flooded for a second time

He said: "It was getting higher and higher.

"I could see it rising, over the top of the step and into the house".

Mr Smart said he wants to come back but fears it will be over five months until he is able to as that how long he was away last time his property flooded.

"Everything is destroyed," he said.

In a joint statement, Sefton Council and United Utilities said: "We understand that any flooding is extremely upsetting and we have teams on the ground working tirelessly to help and support members of the local community during this difficult time.

"Our teams are helping with the clear up and are also speaking to local residents offering help and guidance as well as practical help.

"We encourage residents to ask them anything as they are there to help and will stay on site for as long as they are needed.

"We are also working together to identify the cause of the flooding."

The street is a mixture of privately-owned houses, rented housing and houses run by housing association One Vision Housing.

The BBC has approached One Vision Housing for comment.