CONCERNED Stoke Prior residents are calling for action to be taken after their homes were deluged with flood water.

Residents in a row of five cottages in Hanbury Road had possessions ruined when water cascaded through the front and back doors in the floods which hit the area on Friday, July 20.

Now villagers are calling for questions to be answered to make sure they never get flooded again.

Stoke Parish Council chairman, Thelma Roll, who is acting as a resident, is trying to co-ordinate a public meeting between affected residents, British Waterways, highways and the nearby business parks.

She said: "The water ran down Harbours Hill and then got caught in the dip by the railway bridge and there was nowhere for it to go as all the local flood plains have been built on.

"These poor residents are now having to throw away their belongings and it will be months before they get back on their feet. I want to co-ordinate a meeting between all parties to see what can be done."

Mrs Roll added: "This should never have happened in the first place and we want action taken to make sure it never does again. Residents want answers and they have approached me to see if I can help them."

She said some businesses at Metal and Ores Industrial Estate were also affected by flood waters.

John and Sylvia Lewis, who have lived in the cottages for 50 years, had water rushing in the front and back of their home, it even reached the handle of the back door. Inside their furniture and belongings are ruined including freezers, fridges and a washing machine.

Mr Lewis said: "This is the second time in eight years we have been flooded, and we've never had any before that. We saw the water coming in the back and then it started to come through the front door. There was nothing we could do to stop it. There is no way we can go through this again."

Navigation Inn licensee Paul Fisher said his pub was like an island in the floods but water got into the outbuildings and cellar. He lost the contents of a freezer, four barrels and bottled stock.

He added: "Altogether we lost about £3,000 in stock, but that can be replaced. I just feel so much for the people in the cottages who've had their homes ruined. Something needs to be done to stop this happening again."

A British Waterways spokesman said: "On Friday, July 20, Stoke Prior and surrounding areas experienced extremely heavy rainfall in a short period of time. The result of this extreme weather was to cause two streams which run under the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to over-top causing large volumes of water to rush into the canal, this situation was further exacerbated by surface run off from the local business parks. The result of this surcharge of water was to cause the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to over-top in Stoke Prior causing the flooding in Hanbury Road."

She added: "British Waterways regrets this situation and the distress caused to local residents, however, the situation was caused by the unprecedented volume of water and rapid response teams did everything possible to minimise the flooding to local residents and businesses.

"British Waterways and other agencies are attending a meeting shortly to discuss measures that can be implemented to prevent this event occurring in the future should extreme rainfall be experienced again."

Anyone who wants to be involved in the meeting should contact Mrs Roll on 01527 831865.