Anger of the flood victims (From Your Local Guardian)

Anger of the flood victims

9:43am Thursday 27th September 2007 in

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Angry residents whose homes were devastated by the July floods turned out in force to demand action from the authorities last week.

Residents around Garth Road, Morden, many of whom are still unable to return to their properties, met representatives from Thames Water, Merton Council and the Environment Agency (EA) on September 21, at Garth Road after lobbying MP for Mitcham and Morden Siobhain McDonagh.

The EA promised them it would carry out a major cleaning programme in Pyl Brook and the council said it would investigate the drainage system.

Betty Whittick, 81, of Garth Road, has not been able to live at home since the floods. She lost all of her carpets and had three feet of water in her garden and eight inches in the house.

“I feel livid to think it has taken this long to sort out – we’ve had to chase everyone ourselves.”

Betty Whittick

She said: "I've had dehumidifiers in the house since July but I still can't live there because they are so noisy and I'm still waiting for the house to dry out.

"I feel livid to think it has taken this long to sort out - we've had to chase everyone ourselves."

Residents raised their concerns about the state of the Pyl Brook to officials and said drains were never maintained or cleaned out - causing year-round problems with flooding.

David Brice, 62, of Garth Road, said: "I phone the council on a regular basis about the drains, which are supposed to be cleared twice a year but nine times out of 10 they're not.

"This road is regularly flooded because the drains are completely blocked."

The Environment Agency reassured residents that a major programme of clearing work was planned in the area over the next year but said the unexpected intensity of rain in July was the main cause of the flooding.

Jason Russell, head of highways at Merton Council, said the council was unaware of drainage problems and an investigation would be carried out to ensure the system was functioning properly.

Ms McDonagh said: "It was great to see so many people and it's very helpful for the agencies involved to come and talk to residents and for residents to show how concerned they are about the issue."