Villagers 'sick and tired' after flooding

Village flood warden Tony Carter said 2024 had been the worst year yet for flooding

Residents have called for a solution after they say their village has been flooded for nearly two weeks.

Parts of Witherley, near Atherstone, Leicestershire, have been left submerged after heavy rainfall began on Sunday 22 September.

Villagers said that drains and gullies had been overwhelmed and that sewage had been floating around homes, causing "terrible stinks".

Leicestershire County Council said it was aware of the situation in the village and would work with other agencies to try to protect the area from flooding.

Mark and Denise Bloomer said the village would flood "as soon as it rains"

Witherley flood warden Tony Carter said: "Residents are sick and tired of the flood water that always accumulates here.

"They want the gullies pumped and a solution found. It keeps happening, and it is getting worse.

"This year has been the worst."

Denise and Mark Bloomer's home, in the centre of the village, has been surrounded by water since the rain began to fall heavily.

Mrs Bloomer said, on Thursday, that the water had started to recede from some roads but was still "quite deep" near their home.

"As soon as it rains, we are flooded," she said.

"From October to May last year, it was underwater more than it was out."

She said some of her neighbours had been forced to leave their homes because of the flooding, while others were scared to go out.

Mrs Bloomer added: "Leicestershire highways, Severn Trent and the Environment Agency have to accept there is something they can do."

Mythe Lane was among the most flooded areas

Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, county council cabinet member for flooding, said: “As with other agencies, we’re very aware of the situation in Witherley.

"As soon as the river levels fall, which they are forecast to do, we’ll be checking that gullies are working to the maximum capacity and see if there are implications for other flood risk management organisations such as Severn Trent and the Environment Agency.

"When manholes and gullies start to overflow, it usually indicates that the system was unable to cope with the intensity of rainfall, which in this case was unprecedented."

Severn Trent has been contacted for comment.

In a letter to the Bloomers' MP, Dr Luke Evans, seen by the BBC, the Environment Ageny said Witherley had been placed on a list of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) locations, where residents could get measures, such as flood gates for doors or air bricks, installed.

It said it would also talk to landowners about installing natural flood management measures upstream on the River Anker and Witherley Brook.