Flooded pub closes after heavy downpours

Angela McCafferty

A pub in Jersey has been forced to shut after heavy downpours led to flooding, its boss has confirmed.

L'Auberge Du Nord Pub in St John flooded on Tuesday when heavy rainfall hit parts of the island.

Licensee Angela McCafferty said a clean up was under way, but it would be a while before it could reopen fully.

The constable of St John, Andy Jehan, said the amount of rainfall in the area was nothing like he had ever seen in his lifetime.

The pub's boss says it is hoped the pub will reopen to locals at the weekend

Ms McCafferty said heavy downpours started at about 16:15 BST.

"The water was through the pool room, through the bar by about an inch and it kept coming in," she said.

"Sandbags were already out and all we could do was shut the door. The rain just kept coming and coming."

She said the pub "didn't stand a chance" against the volume of floodwater.

She said water inside of the pub, at its deepest, was about 15cm (6in), adding it was about 20cm (8in) by the door outside.

Ms McCafferty said flooding was a "recurrent" issue at the pub.

"Unfortunately this time we also flooded in the function room and in the kitchen it actually came up through the drains," she said.

"This has happened several times, it is a recurrent problem here."

She said it was hoped the pub would reopen for locals at the weekend.

Constable Andy Jehan said drains in the area had been recently cleared but they were unable to cope with the "sheer volume" of water.

He said the fire service, infrastructure, honorary police and parishioners all responded to the incident.

"We saw flooding in and around the village, which we have experienced in the past but not to this extent," he said.

"I think we do everything that we can to prepare here.

"But when you get the sheer volume in the space of time we had yesterday it's very difficult to cope with."

Jehan has urged landowners to keep their land clear ahead of any forecasted rain, adding motorists should drive with caution.