'It is like Niagara Falls' - elderly couple's 'nightmare' as home flooded 20 times due to council owned pond

Video (click to play above) shows some of the flooding that Peter, 74, and Patricia Clarke, 76, have had to deal with regularly, since they moved into their home three years ago. When the couple bought the property they did not imagine that a pond on council land near their home would regularly overflow and pour into their back garden.

In an attempt to stop the flood and protect the house, Mrs Clarke has even dug ditches and built a DIY dam. And so far they have spent over £7,000 since moving in on drying the property, maintenance and flood defences.

Mrs Clarke said: "A big lake is formed outside the back fence and just pours into our property. It overflows and it flows into the back of our house and our backyard. It is like Niagara Falls every time we got moderate rain."

Their first flood occurred during Storm Babet in October 2021 - one month after they moved into the property. When Mrs Clarke first saw the formation of the pond outside their house on Grange Park, Swindon, in 2021, she 'could not believe it'.

She said: "It was just flowing like a river from under our fence and right up to the back there and around the house. I was there sweeping water for hours on end. It went on the conservatory and into the garage. This last storm I opened up the front door and the water was almost up to my knees.

"The flooding had been occurring for years before we moved in but the buyer never mentioned it. The constant flood has left Mrs Clarke 'furious' and 'anxious'.

She said: "It always happens at night. I am up and down just checking if the water has come across the path. The memento of it is fantastic - it doesn’t stop."

Due to a growing abdominal aortic aneurysm, Mr Clarke is unable to help Mrs Clarke with managing the flooding. She said: "My husband has got an aneurysm so he can't do that much because it can implode. I am not in good health and we thought it would be better to move nearer to our son and he could help us out."

Every time they get flooded, Mrs Clarke sends a photo to Swindon Borough Council. Mrs Clarke said Swindon Borough Council had told her it hoped to start work on drainage for the pond early next year.

However she is unhappy with the way the council has been dealing with the situation. She said: "Nothing is done and nothing ever will be done."

Mr and Mrs Clarke tried to sell their property but have been unable because of the flooding issues. They have spent more than £7,000 since moving in on drying the property, maintenance and flood defences.

"I am furious. How do I keep the river of Babylon at bay," concluded Mrs Clarke.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said they were "incredibly sympathetic" towards the couple. "We are looking at ways we can mitigate the problems affecting Mrs Clarke," said the spokesperson, "but we also have a number of other sites across the borough that also require our attention.

"In the meantime, we'll assist where we can by providing sandbags and support when needed and we would encourage Mrs Clarke to look at what she can do herself, from within her own property boundary, to help prevent flooding."