'Mum and dad want to celebrate their diamond wedding in peace': Staffordshire daughter says her parents are living in fear of flooding and may be forced out of their home

Cyril, aged 87, and Eilee, aged 81, still work every day to maintain the front garden and greenery around the towpath outside their home but fencing and wooden shuttering is being eroded away.

The shuttering around the Staffordshire property in Rugeley was put in when the land was maintained by British Waterways - it is now under the stewardship of charity the Canal and River Trust who say it is not their responsibility to maintain it.

The couple's daughter Lynne is waging a campaign to get the trust to put in 30 metres of metal shuttering which she says would go a long way to helping the matter.

She said: "Mum and dad are at their wits end - it is an idyllic spot to live until you realise there are constant 70ft boats going through the turning point all day and spraying the water onto the towpath and houses.

"British Waterways put in shuttering which they said was guaranteed for 25 years but it was made out of wood and just ten years on it has been soaked that many times so as to be useless."

"Some of the other neighbours have metal shuttering so are more protected but with my mum and dad it is seeping through and ruining the garden they have lovingly maintained and still do at their tender age, as well as often being dangerously close to the front door.

"They celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in a month's time and this is causing them all sorts of stress to the point they fear they might lose the front of idyllic home they have been in for nearly 30 years and maintained through hard work."

Guidance on the Trust's website says:  "While shuttering is typically used in more substantial construction rather than day-to-day fixes, the overall responsibility for all canal infrastructure maintenance rests with the Trust, which includes any works where shuttering might be needed for temporary access or repair." 

The Canal and River Trust provided a statement on the case of Mr and Mrs Clews which said: "We have received and recently replied to correspondence regarding the canal bank adjacent to the property  in Lockside View Rugeley.

"Following a thorough review of our records and advice from our estates and legal teams, we can confirm that the land in question is not owned or maintained by the charity, Canal & River Trust. 

"Consequently, we are unable to carry out repairs to this section of the bank.

"Our checks of historical records, including those from British Waterways, have found no evidence of maintenance responsibility for this area.

"For clarity we can provide a map to Mr and Mrs Clews outlining the canal sections under our ownership in this area. Unfortunately, we do not hold any details as to who owns this section of land."