Floods hit homes as skies open over region

??More than an inch of rain fell on the West Midlands over the weekend as the region was warned to brace itself for another chilly winter.

Torrential rain on Saturday and Sunday caused gardens in South Staffordshire to flood, while Severn Trent Water said it got a "large number of calls" relating to home floods.

The Met Office said 1.04 inches of rain was recorded at its measuring station at Coleshill, Warwickshire, between midnight on Saturday and midnight last night with most falling yesterday.

Gardens at homes in a village near Wolverhampton were flooded with sewage due to a suspected blocked drainage pipe.

Heavy rain is thought to have added to the problem at homes in Shepwell Gardens and New Road, Featherstone. Sewage started flowing at about 6pm on Saturday night, with contractors from Severn Trent arriving yesterday to try to tackle it.

Some householders said the sewage was flowing underneath their homes, while others have seen their gardens littered with waste and mess.

It is the second time the homes have been affected following a similar sewage flood in 2007.

Homeowner former bus inspector Peter Nicholls, of New Road, said: "I think there has been a major blockage in the sewerage system. The heavy rain certainly hasn't helped."

The 69-year-old grandfather-of-two added: "I had my grandchildren here on Sunday but I had to call my son and ask for him to collect them because we didn't want them around it.

"It's made us scared to use our water and toilet systems. "It started flowing on Saturday and there has been no let up since. It doesn't smell very nice either."

It is believed the blockage is in New Road and at least 10 homes and gardens have been affected.

Severn Trent Water today said it was looking into problems in Featherstone, but its priority was houses that had flooded.