Flood-hit Devon villagers plea for help with clean-up

Laura Sleep said she needed help to sort her Venn Ottery home while the insurance claim was processed

Villagers whose homes were hit by flash flooding in Devon say they are struggling as a clean-up effort continues.

Torrential rain caused widespread disruption across the county on Tuesday.

The villages of Tipton St John, Newton Poppleford and Venn Ottery were among the worst affected after the River Otter burst its banks.

Laura Sleep, from Venn Ottery, pleaded for more help for flood-hit residents.

Ms Sleep, who lives in a rented house, said she was waiting for her insurance company to process a claim.

Laura Sleep's home was covered in mud by the flood waters

"I need help now," she said. "I'm under mud, can somebody come and help?

"It's not habitable at the moment - I haven't got any electric and all the mud through there is not healthy."

Beryl Pym said flood waters "gushed like a torrent"

Beryl Pym, 80, also from Venn Ottery, said she was also waiting for an insurance assessment while her house was "full of thick mud".

"We have had floods before, but it's never been as serious as this," she said.

"The water just gushed a torrent... pouring in from the back and the front. It was coming so fast."

Howard Hughes, parish councillor for Venn Ottery, said he was surprised no-one was hurt given there was "no alert whatsoever" before the floods hit.

"Schoolchildren were really frightened," he said. "We were lucky that no-one was swept away."

He added: "One would have expected a flood alert to come through."

The Environment Agency (EA) said crews were monitoring river levels across east Devon and Somerset and assessing flood defences.

It urged residents to sign up to its flood alert system with more rain forecast over the next two days.

Workers shifting mud in Venn Ottery on Thursday

The EA said: "We have had field teams on the ground assisting the response, and to assess the impacts of the flooding on our flood defences, monitor river levels, check flood gates, and clear trash screens.

"Showers have been forecast for the next two days, so we will keep monitoring the weather and issue warnings if appropriate.

"People are urged to sign-up for flood warnings and continue to monitor the weather reports."

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