Vandals have brought flooding to a street in Oswestry for the second time in a week by blocking up emergency drains.

Homes and business in the Eden Street area of the town were affected when a culvert collapsed during the weekend. Yesterday water was again running through the town street after the emergency drainage work became blocked.

It is believed that chunks of road materials, ripped up when a culvert collapsed, were thrown down the drainage hole by vandals.

Resident Gwen Bennett was woken by a neighbour at 5am yesterday after water again began seeping through her front door.

“Luckily he woke early, heard the noise of water running, looked out of the window and saw that the water was pouring over the sandbags that had been put down in order to keep the water draining away,” Miss Bennett said.

She alerted Shropshire County Council and contractors returned to the street once more hit by floods.

“Apparently they found that loose material from the road, which was pulled up after the flooding, had been thrown into the hole down which the water had been draining. That caused leaves to get stuck, adding to the problems.”

For the second time in four days Miss Bennett found herself having to mop out her kitchen.

“This time thank goodness the water was clean,” she said.

On Friday night sewage ran through the street and cellars of houses were flooded. Also the inspection pits at a garage were put out of action by the flooding.

Severn Trent says the collapsed culvert is the responsibility of Shropshire County Council. However, the council says a burst water main may have led to the collapse of the culvert.

Divisional surveyor for Shropshire County Council Mr Bob Ellis said that vandals or late night revellers throwing things into the hole had caused the latest problems.

“It has hampered the work that we are doing,” he said, adding that more substantial barriers were now being put up to prevent people getting to the damaged section of the road.

By Sue Austin