Festive exile for families

Families evacuated from their homes following a major landslide in Bewdley face Christmas in "exile" because of a continuing safety threat, it has been revealed.

And the cost of dealing with the landslip is expected to be as much £500,000, engineers say.

The hillside homes near Northwood Halt on the Severn Valley Railway was left unstable by severe flooding in June and July and is still moving – threatening to fall on bungalows below.

Families from five properties, near the site in Northwood Lane, including one above the hillside, were evacuated in August because of the dangers and advised to stay away.

Now engineers have come up with plans to stabilise the hillside and last night they told residents that work was expected to begin in two weeks time and continue for an estimated 12 weeks.

Severn Valley Railway bosses invited residents to a meeting at the Bewdley Station to hear how the work would be done.

But several complained they had not been told about what was going to happen.

Jonathan Symonds, a consultant civil engineer, told residents that shoring up the hillside would be "a major task".

He said giant drills would drive huge metal bars 12 to 16 metres into the bank to stabilise it and how steel plates would then be fitted to prevent the soil moving. Planting would be carried out.

Nick Ralls, the railway's general manager, said 300 letters had been sent out to residents about the meeting.

Phil Moulder, one of the people evacuated from his home, said it was "important to keep residents informed".

He said he had been forced to stay with a friend since July 24 and that he would be seeking compensation from the railway.