Flood victim blames Environment Agency (From Worcester News)

Flood victim blames Environment Agency

12:47pm Monday 23rd July 2007 in

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A MAN has hit out at the Environment Agency after his Worcester home flooded because defence barriers were not put up.

Paul Brooks said he has between four and six inches of contaminated water in his Hylton Road home and thinks it will cost £30,000 to repair the damage.

"If the barriers had been up we would never have suffered at all," he said.

"We had a meeting with them last time they didn't go up a month ago and they assured us this wasn't going to happen again and said the barriers would go up.

"They had plenty of warning this amount of rain was coming and now we are back to square one as far as I'm concerned."

He said the crisis echoed the floods of 2000 - when water caused extensive damage to his St John's home, which is rented by five tenants.

"It came up and in over night," he added.

"It's going to take between six to seven months to get the property habitable again.

"It's got into the plaster, skirting boards, and all the floors and obviously it's contaminated waste as well."

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service called for Hylton Road properties to be evacuated over the weekend, so Mr Brooks also had to find alternative accommodation for his tenants.

"Not only that but we are going to see our house prices drop yet again," he said.

An EA statement is expected later today.