Flood victims ‘forced to buy own sandbags’

FLOOD victims whose homes have been hit for the second time in two years were told to buy their own sandbags as a river burst its banks, it was claimed yesterday.

Almost a month’s rain fell in 24 hours on Wednesday, causing chaos across north-west England.

And residents in Halton, Lancashire, who were victims of Storm Desmond in December 2015, have seen their homes ruined again. Retired social worker Roz Frankland said villagers could ‘see the flooding coming’ on Wednesday lunchtime but were denied requests for sandbags.

‘We were told sandbags were for the emergency services only,’ said Mrs Frankland, whose home was flooded. If we wanted our own, we would have to go to the builders’ merchants and pay for them ourselves.’

She said she made four calls to emergency services after being unable to get through to council emergency numbers.

Fellow villager Stephen Hadley, 64, had to defend his home with just a broom for three and a half hours. ‘I stood at the door and just kept sweeping the water back as soon as it came over the doorstep,’ he said. ‘I was knackered by the end. I woke up with a bad back and my knees have gone but I’m still in my home.’

Lancaster City Council said there was ‘no obligation’ on authorities to provide sandbags to the public. A spokesman said it would offer advice to those homes and businesses affected.