A DISABLED Fylde pensioner has demanded council action after being plagued by a flooded porch for the last five years.

Housebound Olive Rodgers, 71, has lived in her council-owned sheltered accommodation bungalow at Clayton Crescent, South Shore, since 1996.

But she claims that, for the last five years, she has had to contend with floods of up to an inch in depth swamping her front porch every time it rains and spent hundreds of pounds replacing carpets and linoleum.

Despite eight attempts to fix the problem Blackpool Borough Council have yet to find a lasting solution.

The last inspection of the property by council officials in December 2003 concluded that the problem was a result of condensation.

But Olive -- who suffers from a combination of asthma, bronchitis and emphysema called chronic obstructive pulmonary (COP) and needs to have constant access to oxygen supply canisters -- says 'enough is enough'.

Olive said: "Life is hard enough for me as it is because my condition makes it extremely difficult for me to get out and about easily.

"The only time I get to go out is when a carer has enough time to take me a walk to the shops. The last thing I need is to be faced with a hazard getting in and out of my bungalow.

"Granted the council have come round to see what the problem is on a few occasions but nothing they've done has put an end to it.

"Their conclusion that the flooding was a result of condensation is ridiculous. I'm frightened that the damp might spread to other parts of the house.

"So far I've spent hundreds of pounds replacing carpets and linoleum as a result of the flooding and it's money I can ill-afford.

"I just want to be comfortable in my own home and for something to be done about this because I'm getting tired of having to deal with it every time the weather turns nasty.

"Five years is an outrageous amount of time to wait for a solution, enough is enough. The council need to come round and sort out my porch once and for all."

A spokesperson for Blackpool Borough Council said: "We have inspected the property previously when the source of the problem was found to be condensation.

"However, given that the problems appear to be still on-going we will be revisiting Mrs Rodgers and carrying out a further investigation."