Raw sewage ruins family's start to 2006 (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Raw sewage ruins family's start to 2006

A CIRENCESTER family suffered a nightmare start to 2006 after spending the last few days surrounded by putrid sewage.

Mark Wills, who lives in Austin Road, told the Standard there have been problems with the sewage system outside his property for four years.

But on New Year's Eve the ticking time bomb finally exploded when raw sewage began gushing onto his front drive and completely surrounding his home.

For five days his young family have been battling a tide of sludge and obnoxious smells.

Next door neighbours have been unable to open their windows, while mother Teresa says her six-year-old son Kieran has been left traumatised by the experience.

She said: "He is absolutely petrified - he thinks if he flushes the toilet it is going to happen again."

Mr Wills, 39, added: "It looks like something out in a Third World country. It's disgusting to have this stuff running down the street and into our home.

"The smell is putrid and horrible, and my son has been too scared to come out."

Since Saturday the Mr Wills has been battling with Thames Water to come out and fix the problem, but the clear up operation only began yesterday.

All the gravel in their front yard has been washed away, while the paving stones around the back of the property are covered in thick slime.

Kieran has been unable to play with his pet guinea pig, who lives in the garden, and no washing has been hung up to dry for nearly a week.

Mr Wills said: "It's a Mickey Mouse situation. I am absolutely fed up and I think this needs to be brought to attention because we have gone backwards and forwards (with Thames Water)."

Initially, someone did visit the house on New Year's Eve but was unable to clear up the mess because of fading light.

Thames Water promised to return three days later, but it was not until yesterday (Wednesday) that proper clean up equipment arrived.

Neighbour Richard Cook, 64, said: "We were going to have a New Year's Eve party, but I had to send my daughter out to friends. We couldn't open our windows.

"We thought the new year would get off to a good start but it certainly hasn't."

Yesterday, Thames Water sincerely apologised to the Wills family for the time it took to address the problem.

Spokesman Andrew Boyd said: "We are very sorry - it should have been cleared up earlier even though it was over the holiday period.

"We understand how horrible it's been for the Wills family and we will look into why there was a delay.

"We hope to complete the clean up work today (Wednesday) by disinfecting the patio area and replacing the shingle. We are looking into what caused the leak."