Anger after homes flooded twice in five years

Residents have begun a clear-up after the flooding on Friday night

Some residents on an estate in Herefordshire have had their homes flooded for the second time in five years following heavy rainfall overnight.

They have begun a clean-up, with about a dozen properties in Withington affected.

They said water had breached a ditch which had been dug to prevent flooding following the previous incident.

Herefordshire Council it had been working with partner organisations to help people affected by flooding overnight, and added that it was investing in drainage.

Laurie Price said her four-year-old boy, who is autistic, struggled to process what had happened.

“He was stood on top of the stairs screaming,” she said. “This home is his safe place and I hate to think what it’s going to do to him in the long run.”

Ms Price said she had called the housing association which owns the house, who had told her to phone the fire service, but when she phoned them they told her they were unable to help.

When she called the housing association again on Saturday morning, they said they were unable to assist until Monday, she said.

“I’m so angry and upset that this is the second time it’s happened,” she added.

Laurie Price said she had been left without any help after the housing association told her they were unable to assist until Monday

Ms Price said she believed approval for the ditch was signed off illegally by the council and that it was not fit for purpose.

“This has been an ongoing battle for four years,” she said.

“Every time it rains the water comes over the trench outside. No-one does anything about it. It’s not their house that floods, is it?”

She said: “It was like we were in the middle of the River Wye. The water had a current, it was moving that fast.

“It was coming through the front door, the back door, it was up to my window.”

Shaune Russell believes the ditch has not been properly maintained.

A local committee had been established, he said, in an effort to challenge the local authority and developer of the estate as well as the firm that had been contracted to maintain the ditch.

“An absolute torrent of water came over,” he said.

“Some houses were lucky, they managed to put quilts against the doors to stem the flow. Other properties, you just could not enter.”

Shaune Russell believes a ditch designed to prevent flooding has not been properly maintained

Alicia Browne, who was helping to clear up a friend’s house, told the BBC it was “horrific”.

Upholstery, curtains and sofas were saturated with water, and there was muddy water across the floor, she said.

“The neighbours are just rallying around,” she said.

Herefordshire Council said it received a request for sandbags from the Withington area, but after a discussion with the residents this was not appropriate.

"We understand the devastating impact that flooding can have," a spokesperson said.

"We are currently investing an additional £1m into highways drainage improvement this year and we have invested a further £445,000 into a new local drainage fund that parish councils can apply for to improve drainage in their areas."