Lorna Lanford from Brick Kiln Street, Brierley Hill is upset due to constant flooding in her home after a sinkhole appeared in the street.

Transcript

00:00So, so actually you've been here for 15 years and you haven't had any problems, you told me,

00:05until this sinkhole, which opened up outside in the middle of the road, which we actually

00:11wrote about as well and came and took some pictures. But tell me about the problems it's

00:16caused for you since you haven't had any problems in 15 years and now in the last two years.

00:20In the last two years since the sinkhole, which I didn't put to it that it was causing the trouble,

00:26I thought it was my drain. We've had bits of water coming, but nothing compared to what we've

00:32got now. It comes right to the top of the step, you know, and it's actually, if it gets any worse,

00:38it's going to come in the kitchen. In the cellar that is, isn't it? It's really bad.

00:42What else do you, so you thought it was a problem with your drain, but how did you,

00:48when did you kind of piece it together that it was actually being caused by the sinkhole?

00:53I didn't until the insurance got involved and then the chap came with the camera,

01:01showed me what he was seeing. The water from here was flowing lovely until it got to their mains

01:08and their mains was full to the brim of water and it was pushing it all back into here.

01:15So it wasn't a problem with your drains. So now what's happened since then? Have you spoken to,

01:21have you tried talking to the council? Everybody. The council have let me down. I've tried the

01:26environmental health. A chap come, found from Ioways, Andy, and said he'd come, he never did.

01:33Been in touch with the water pump, south staffs, 7 Trent, and they're all just passing the buck.

01:41But I can't live like this. No. I just can't. I mean, when you smell it,

01:46you'll understand. Well, you told me that the smell is horrendous in the cellar as well,

01:50so we could, would you mind showing me what the cellar looks like? Of course I won't. The firemen

01:56came because it was absolutely flooded to the top and they were getting great rats out of the drain,

02:06throwed them up into the water. It was terrible, terrible. But as I say, nobody's doing anything

02:13and this is my last, you know, I thought, well, I've got to find the Express and start. How has

02:17this been affecting you personally, your life? Bad. It's just the quality of life,

02:25isn't it? Now it's gone because you've got to worry about the water, the smell.

02:31I wouldn't be, it wouldn't hit me so much if I hadn't been away and I was poorly.

02:35That's what's got to me, the smell and it's my home. This is my home and I don't want nothing

02:41off anybody. I don't want nothing. I just want me home back to where it was. That's all I want.

02:47I'm not out for anything off anybody. I just want help and I needed, to be truthful,

02:54it needs professionally cleaned. The smell of the walls and so black and filthy. I don't know who's

03:01going to take responsibility for it. Did you keep anything in the cellar? What was in there before?

03:05I did actually. All my husband's, so that's going to start me off again now. His drills and his,

03:12you know, all his tools and hoovers and I never claimed for it because I thought it was,

03:22you know, I didn't realise it was the owl, but it is. It's definitely, I've been told that now.

03:30It's more, what's the word when you've had things? Like the sentimental value? Yes,

03:38it's the sentimental value, what I've lost. Do you mind if I ask when your husband passed away?

03:43Townie died nine years ago. But those things were, even though they're just tools,

03:48those are things that were his, you know. Exactly. They've been damaged by this.

03:52Yes, exactly. All the Christmas stuff's gone. Everything's gone, you know,

03:58because that's where you put everything. Yes, of course it is, your storage.

04:01Exactly.