Villagers 'dumped in sewage' after flooding

Reverend Paul Cawthorne is holding a public meeting to address the issue

People living on a street where sewage has bubbled up into their homes are calling for action.

One resident of Abbot Drive in Hadnall, Shropshire, said she had put clingfilm over her toilet to stop the dirty water from spilling into the house. Other residents have complained of sewage in their gardens when heavy rain falls.

Rev Paul Cawthorne, on behalf of residents, has accused Severn Trent, developers Cameron Homes and estate management company Centrick of not taking responsibility.

Cameron Homes said it was confident the problems were not a result of its work. Severn Trent said it was "working with residents to understand the issue and find the best long-term solution."

Centrick has been contacted for comment.

Amy, a mother-of-two, has lived on Abbot Drive for the past three years.

The estate was constructed by Gallier Homes, which has since been absorbed into Cameron Homes.

When heavy rain fell in about September last year, water started rising - and not just in the rivers.

"The water was coming right up to the top of the toilet, bubbling, gurgling, and then I had to put clingfilm over the seat," Amy said.

"The sink started spitting water out, dirty water [...] we just had to wait for it to subside and hope for the best."

Every time Hadnall experiences flooding, the problem happens again, Amy said.

She said her family had bought the new-build property "thinking we wouldn't have any issues", but added: "This house is causing me more issues than any other."

Rev Cawthorne took this photo of macerate sewage rising out of manhole covers

The village has also faced flooding in recent months with some residents cut off for as long as 36 hours, as well as fears that overflowing raw sewage could be reaching rivers.

Mr Cawthorne said there was "clearly a problem with sewage in Hadnall, especially around the new houses."

"Everyone seems to be passing the buck to somebody else," he said, urging the developer and the water company to "take responsibility."

He is holding a public meeting on 15 January to address the sewage issues, and said Severn Trent and Cameron Homes "should be accountable to the people that they've dumped in these problems, and in this situation dumped in the sewage".

There were also concerns about the impact the drainage and sewage issues will have on house prices.

Amy said: "If it keeps happening and nothing gets done, we're going to have sewage on our floor. Are our insurance companies going to cover the damage? Probably not."

A spokesperson for Severn Trent said Abbot Drive had been adopted into its network on 9 December and it was "working with residents to understand the issue and find the best long-term solution."