Play park reopens after flooding clean-up

Special cleaners took care of the play equipment, disinfecting it from E. coli and other bacteria

A children's play park has been cleaned and reopened after it flooded with sewage.

The park in Alexandra Road, near Botley Road in Oxford, shut in February when the local river burst its banks.

Labour councillor Susanna Pressel said Thames Water's treatment works had contributed to the sewage discharge.

The water company has denied responsibility.

Specialist cleaners were sent to the area to deal with E. coli and other forms of bacteria.

It comes amid claims Thames Water was behind the sewage discharge.

Ms Pressel said the water company "should be the ones cleaning up our playgrounds, if they get flooded".

She added she had been asking Oxford City Council to clean up and reopen the play area for months.

The council did not respond when contacted for comment.

Ms Pressel said the ground in the park had been too soft for it to allow for earlier cleaning.

However, she added: “What I have asked the Parks Department to find out is whether they could have put down temporary boards to reduce the damage or whether there is another solution, and what other cities and counties do in such circumstances."

A Thames Water spokesman said its investigation had concluded that "the flooding was not due to a failure of our sewers".

“River health is not the sole responsibility of Thames Water and there are many factors which influence river quality and flooding,” the statement added.

Oxfordshire County Council, which is the lead local flood authority, said the levels of rain had been especially high for 2024.

Cabinet member for climate change responsibility, Pete Sudbury, previously said the Environment Agency, Thames Water and others had “worked extensively to manage the flood crisis”.