Flash flood nightmare

Devastated families and fire crews from across the county were frantically baling out houses last night – with sofas up on bricks as two feet of water poured into homes during flash floods.

Heavy rainfall caused water to run off nearby fields straight through properties in New Street and Prince Albert Terrace in Norton Bridge.

Ray Wardle, of New Street, was one of the householders counting the cost this morning.

He said: "It had been raining all day, but at around 7.30pm water started cascading through the back fence, into the gardens, then on into the house.

"The settee is up on bricks and the carpet is sodden."

The homes were amongst those devastated just three years ago in similar circumstances and since then the residents of the 10 homes in New Street have spent £22,000 of their own cash on a new road surface and gullies.

Mr Wardle said: "Despite all the money we have spent the road still couldn't cope with the volume of water. One of my neighbours was left sitting halfway up the stairs, the water level was so high.

"We keep experiencing the same problems but no-one seems to want to do anything about it or take responsibility for what's happening. There is no river to flood, it is all down to drainage."

Crew commander Chris Berry, of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, was one of the four fire crews to attend the scene of last night's flooding.

He said: "The water had built up on fields near the homes throughout the day, then flooded through the houses like a stream.

"We were called out at about 7.30 last night and the Stafford crew were on scene until about midnight.

"Some of the residents have moved out to relatives' homes, although some have stayed on.

"This has happened here before, so some residents were prepared and had moved furniture upstairs where it was safe from the flood waters."

Stafford town centre has also been affected by the heavy rains that have plagued the town over the last week.

A local car hire business is now searching for new premises in Stafford after its offices were flooded for the fifth time in four years.

The Enterprise Rent-a-car premises in Silkmore Lane saw water up to 4 ft deep build up on the site.

The company's operations manager for the West Midlands, Angie Thompson, said that staff have been moved to the company's base in Cannock.