Woman 'stranded' as home cut off by flood water

Rising flood water in Stillingfleet has left Lizzie Cox "stranded" in her home since Sunday

A woman says she has been unable to leave her home for four days after being cut off by rising floodwater in the wake of heavy snowfall.

Lizzie Cox said she and a number of neighbours had been stranded in their homes in Stillingfleet, North Yorkshire, since Sunday.

Ms Cox said she had been left without central heating as the gas could not be delivered and she was concerned about her two sheep, who are stranded on a small patch of grass.

She said: "The worry is that it will be cold again tonight. We have our fingers crossed the river will not rise but we are in the hands of the gods here."

Lizzie Cox said her home had become cut off after the heavy snow began to melt

Ms Cox said roads in Stillingfleet had become impassable for vehicles because of the flooding, leaving several properties cut off.

She said she feared that if there were more rain the water, which is just half a metre from her property, would come in and make her home "uninhabitable"

Ms Cox said it was the second time in a year she had been affected, and raised concerns about whether or not the nearby pumping station was operating properly.

She also questioned whether the sluice gates were able to open due to debris and silt.

Call for answers

The pumping station at Stillingfleet was built to alleviate flooding in the area and is operated by an Internal Drainage Board (IDB).

Ms Cox said she had been aware the property was on a flood plain when she bought it, but said she was "advised the pumps could manage the flood water".

She has now called for answers as to the situation at the pumping station.

"From what I'm hearing, due to budgets there was due to be a new pump replaced 12 months ago, but I've since been told that it could now be possibly summer 2025."

The Labour MP for Selby Keir Mather has said he has spoken to the various agencies about the flooding situation in Stillingfleet.

"In my conversations with the IDB they confirm that we have had exceptionally high flows but that we should be seeing a peak of those river levels shortly, but that it could take a few days for flood water to clear fully from Stillingfleet," he said.

The BBC has approached the Internal Drainage Board (IDB) for comment.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency said they are not operational in this area at this time and that it was the responsibility of the IDB.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.