Leicestershire residents wait to return after 'nightmare' floods

Some residents face a four-week wait before they can return to their homes after "nightmare" flooding.

Leicestershire County Council said emergency services had received more than 250 call-outs since Monday, following heavy downpours.

Many people have described the flooding as "the worst in the county for years".

The Environment Agency said it was working with residents to support their recovery.

In Stoney Stanton, a row of 22 cottages in Station Road was evacuated.

Chris Askwith, whose property was flooded, said "It was a nightmare...it's not been this bad for a long time."

He added: "There was six inches of water front and back, and we had no electricity."

He said an "emotional" meeting between a number of councils and residents had taken place on Wednesday.

"All they could say was that there will be an investigation on why it happened and they will stop it from happening again," he said.

He added residents were blaming a new housing development opposite the cottages which had been built on floodplains.

Blaby District Council said an investigation by the county council after flooding was "standard" and would "include any aspects of recent development".

Many roads in Leicestershire remain closed and the Environment Agency said the River Lin, in Newton Linford, had reached its highest recorded level at 2.53m (8.3ft).

Farmer Tom Duffin, from Mountsorrel, said he had to rescue his cows after they became marooned on an "island".

"It is the quickest I have ever seen the water rise and the worst I have seen it in 20 years," he said.

"Normally we get a bit more warning when the river's higher or before it bursts its banks."

Gemma Halewood-Muse, from Hugglescote, said: "In the last two years, four [housing] estates have gone up on what is normally our floodplains.

"They are causing issues with drainage on to the roads and into fields, so it's potentially something to think about," she said.

North West Leicestershire District Council said it deferred a planning application for 30 more houses in the village until more is known about the causes of the recent flooding.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].