HOUSEHOLDERS at two neighbouring properties in Dursley have been forced to move out after their homes were flooded.

Their adjoining back gardens in Bramble Drive were turned into a murky one metre deep pool after gallons upon gallons of water gushed from a broken water pipe.

The deluge continued into the homes, ruining flooring and everything up to skirting board height.

Four fire crews were called to the scene to pump out the flood water in the incident which happened on Thursday, July 16.

Terri Banham, whose mum Penny lives in one of the properties, said: “Mum has dementia and has been very distressed as you can imagine.

“She has had to leave the house to stay with family in Stroud.”

Verity Kologlu and her young family, whose home was also flooded, were given emergency accommodation.

Ms Banham said: “The issue is the reservoir on the old Dursley Road, the overflow from there runs through mum’s garden, and the pipe in the garden is damaged.

“Mum has lived there for 25 years and it has happened every year, if not several times a year. Although this is the first time she has had to move out because of it.”

The properties on Bramble Drive are currently being dried out with industrial dehumidifiers and will then be repaired. It is not yet known when Penny and Verity and family will be able to move back in.

A spokeswoman for Severn Trent said: “Firstly we’d like to say a huge apology to our customers who have been affected by the escaping water in Bramble Drive.

"We’ve found some pipe work in the garden of the property which is the cause of the flooding.

"Work is now underway to re-route that pipe so that it can no longer affect the properties.

"We’re working hard to make sure that our customers that were affected have everything that they need to get back to normal and we’ll make sure the pipe work is moved as quickly as possible.

“Once again we’re so sorry for this situation.”

Meanwhile, Verity, her husband and her two young daughters have been given emergency accommodation at Stonehouse Travelodge.

Although grateful to have somewhere to stay, Verity said that being cooped up together in one small room, without cooking facilities is not ideal.

She said: “I have a young family, with two girls aged four and five, and we are stuck in a Travelodge without any kind of facilities for me to provide food for my family. There’s no fridge, washing machine, or cooker. We can’t live off fast food for weeks.”

The family have been offered temporary accommodation in a house from August 1, but Verity is hopeful that the family will be given a more appropriate place to stay in the meantime.

Stonewater Housing Association, which manages the Bramble Drive properties, said: “We are working hard to find somewhere for the Kologlu family to stay that is more suitable but still convenient for Mr Kologlu to be able to travel to work within a reasonable distance. We hope to be able to move the family very soon on a short term basis to a hotel with a larger family room and an open restaurant.”