ANGRY residents have complained to council bosses after their homes were flooded during a heavy downpour.

Downstairs rooms in three houses were left under inches of dirty water after blocked drains overflowed in the storm yesterday, according to tenants in Wordsworth Close, Oswaldtwistle.

Hyndburn Council bosses have now promised to dry the carpets and put down sandbags in a bid to prevent further problems expected in another predicted deluge tonight.

Mum-of-four Lynette Evans complained to county bosses - who manage local drain systems - after a similar flood last year.

Lynette and next-door-neighbour Karen Williams were furious after being left without carpets for months when an insurance claim failed.

The pair reported yesterday's floods to borough and county chiefs and are set to make a fresh claim for compensation.

Lynette said: "Last night's flood was worse than last year. Three houses in this street were under four inches of water and the carpets are soaked.

"It lashed down and because the drains were blocked the gardens flooded and it came into the houses. It's saturated, it stinks and there are beetles crawling everywhere.

"I've got four kids and Karen has three and we could hardly sleep with the worry. The council has unblocked the drains now but we're claiming for compensation.

"They have already said we will have to claim off our insurance because they won't insure the contents."

A spokesman for Hyndburn Council said: "These are actually county council drains which were replaced last year, but obviously the problem has not been solved.

"Our operations department will be carrying out an investigation to establish what needs to be done.

"The area office is also arranging to get the carpets dried and is trying to sandbag the area to stop this happening again."

Nobody at Lancashire County Council was available to comment.

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