Long winter ahead due to storm damage - cafe owner

A cafe owner in Devon has expressed fears over a loss of trade along a cycle path due to recent storm disruption.

Dan O'Connell, who runs MT Tums cafe near the Stover Trail in Newton Abbot, said damage to the path and disrupted railway lines was affecting business.

Storm Bert brought flooding to Devon and Cornwall last week a few days after widespread snowfall in the region.

The BBC has contacted Devon County Council, Teignbridge Council and Network Rail for comment.

Mr O'Connell told BBC Radio Devon: "[On] Saturday customers were walking up this path, cycling this path... now we've got about 50-60m gap now between the tarmac where the cycle path used to be.

"I would say for us as a business it's between 30 and 50% of our trade comes down this trail - whether that's from Newton Abbot out towards us and beyond or people coming from Bovey Tracey into Newton Abbot and back.

"It's going to be a long old winter, I can tell you that."

Vikki, who uses the cycle path to get to work, said she was "shocked" by the amount of damage in the area.

"I mean it has flooded in the past, but I didn't realise it was going to be this bad," she said.

"I was hoping in a couple of days the water would go down and I'd be getting back to using it, but that's not going to happen is it."

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