WET WET WET (From Warrington Guardian)

WET WET WET

A DAMPENER was cast on the new year for three households in Runcorn when their homes were flooded during drain-replacement work.

Halton Council employed a Leeds-based contractor to begin reinforcing old drainage pipes on Union Street on Monday, January 4.

But the following night, the basements of three houses were flooded.

One of the affected householders, 57-year-old Billy Grindley said: "In the 35 years we have lived in this house, the first problem that we have had is when they did this work."

Billy and his wife Sheila, 54, could not sleep on Wednesday night because of the smell emanating from downstairs.

His next door neighbour Samantha Davies, 37, saw a computer and software relating to her partner's business ruined, together with cosmetics which she sells.

Her cellar was still inches deep in water 36 hours after the leak: "The element of contamination in the water means that what is now down there should be discarded, because we don't know what's in the water," said Samantha.

A spokesman for the contractors said a full investigation into the incident was under way. He added that believed the flooding was not a direct result of his company's work.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.