Landlady's constant anxiety over flooded pub

Work to re-open the pub has been postponed after another flood

A landlady has said she feels constantly anxious after her pub flooded for the 11th time in four months.

Khara Schrijvers, from the Royal Oak in Brandon, Coventry, shared pictures of the venue swamped in brown-coloured water and layers of silt on Thursday.

The pub was forced to close for repairs on 30 December, with the bar area, toilets and cellar areas gutted and replaced.

But as spring approaches, challenges have beset the site once more following heavy rainfall.

The pub's beer garden is soaked once again

Ms Schrijvers told BBC CWR: "It's heart-wrenching and [I feel] constant anxiousness of not knowing whether it's going to flood.

"This has happened almost every time it rained for the past two months.

"The first time we had it was on 21 October last year, and since then we've been flooded 11 times."

The pub had been shut for nearly three months but recurring floods threatened to undermine repair efforts, she added.

In December when water seeped under the premises' doors, staff speculated as to the cause, wondering whether nearby drains were inadequate for persistent wet weather.

Dozens of roads across the West Midlands have been deluged after more wet weather, with more than half a dozen flood warnings in place.

Rail services in Shropshire, Worcestershire and Wolverhampton have been cancelled due to flooded tracks.

The landlady said: "It's a never-ending cycle of things being postponed because of these floods.

"It's a hard situation - we employ 39 staff, every day I'm thinking they haven't got a job or any hours.

"No matter which way you look at it, it's so difficult."

Discussions are under way to protect the building from further flooding, with Ms Schrijvers looking into installing flood barriers.