Laxey flooding: New wall planned to 'hold back the river'

A river burst its banks leading to severe flooding in Laxey

A new wall "capable of holding back the river" is to be built in Laxey after the village was hit by flooding, the Isle of Man's Chief Minister has said.

The village was cut off when the river burst its banks, leaving several homes under 6ft (1.8m) of water.

Howard Quayle MHK said work would begin on a replacement wall "early next week, if not earlier."

An independent investigation into the flooding would also be established "as a matter of urgency", he added.

Flooding occurred on 1 October after more than 100mm (4in) of rain fell within a 20-hour period, mostly on the northern side of Snaefell.

The swollen River Laxey then burst through a wall which had been opened to repair a weir.

Debris removed

"Intensive rainfall" would become "more frequent" in the future and the government would look at solutions to reduce the risk of flooding, Mr Quayle continued.

On Wednesday, Manx Utilities chairman Alex Allinson blamed a "combination of factors" for the flooding, including a build-up of debris in the river that subsequently caused a "surge".

Mr Quayle said approximately 600 tonnes of debris had already been removed from the river.

Earlier this week, resident and former commissioner Andrew Smith started a petition calling for an independent review.

Garff Commissioners is due to hold an emergency public meeting on Thursday for residents to voice their concerns.

A hardship fund has been set up by Onchan Rotary Club to help those people affected.