25 September 2023 , 15:09
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A grandmother is living in a hotel after her council house was flooded with sewage water.
Joanne Smith has spent the last 27 years in her home said it has been flooded three times due to heavy rain and drainage issues. The 54-year-old had to pay thousands of pounds to replace her furniture around ten years ago after her property flooded twice within the short space of six weeks due to severe weather.
She said those incidents left her with "nothing". Joanne, who lives in Felling in the borough of Gateshead, has now been forced to move out of her home after it flooded again following heavy rain earlier this month.
Joanne's home has flooded three times in the past decade (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)Joanne, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for dysplasia, said water has flooded the ground floor as well as the front and back garden. A manhole on her property was found blocked with sewage and the soil pipe had cracked, which led to sewage water seeping into the house and also contaminating the water.
She told ChronicleLive: "I got a phone call to say that water was coming into my house. The water level was up to my top steps at the back and the front.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
The 54-year-old said the property is now damp and full of sewage flies (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)"It is just stinking and full of sewage flies. It is just rotten." Joanne, who suffers from asthma, COPD, anxiety and depression, reported the situation to Gateshead Council. The council then moved her into a hotel while they are looking into the situation.
However, the grandmother-of-five wants to be rehoused so it does not happen to her again. She said: "I have told the council that I don't want to go back.
The home was flooded with sewage and the water contaminated (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
The grandmother-of-five is fed up with her home being damaged by flooding (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)"I have been flooded three times now and the last time I was left with nothing. I have built my house back up for it to happen again."
Gateshead Council spokesman said: "We are working with the tenant to address the issues currently affecting her property caused by recent severe weather conditions. The tenant was promptly relocated while we completed the necessary repairs, and we will be discussing further housing options with them in due course.”