Disgust after sewer water surrounds homes in Leicester five times

A homeowner says she is left "panicked" every time it rains after her garden was flooded with sewage five times in just a few weeks.

Elizabeth Curtis-Kearney's garden first flooded with human waste in December 2023.

She said four of her neighbours' homes had since been surrounded regularly by filthy water from the drains.

Severn Trent apologised for any distress caused and said it had cleared a blockage which caused the floods.

Mrs Curtis-Kearney said "unsanitary" waste first surrounded her home in Lubbesthorpe Road, Leicester, on 28 December, which her husband then cleaned as Severn Trent was too slow to respond.

The properties have since experienced more bouts of flooding, with the most recent after heavy rainfall on Tuesday.

Mrs Curtis-Kearney said the flooding had left her feeling "panicked" every time downpours were predicted.

"It's just really hard work trying to get someone to come up and clean up filth outside your house," she said.

"They [Severn Trent] just promise you they will come and then they don't.

"It's really sort of getting everyone down I think."

Mrs Curtis-Kearney said she thought the remains were "absolutely a health hazard".

"We're just left with a great big mess all around our house," she said.

"It makes you feel trapped because you just don't want to be going out.

"It feels dangerous not knowing what could be in there."

Alex Cooney, waste team manager at Severn Trent, said on Tuesday, a team cleared the blockage, which was believed to be the cause of the flooding and that cleaning teams returned on Wednesday.

"Customers' properties should be fully cleaned and disinfected following any pollution incident and we are very sorry that this has not been completed to a satisfactory standard at this address previously," he said.

"Our team will be in touch with the affected householders directly."

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