RESIDENTS of The Knapp in Great Bedwyn have once again had been left with a bad smell under their noses after sewage flooded their gardens flooded with sewage.

After the heavy rainfall on Tuesday (May 10) night, people living on the Aster-run sheltered housing estate woke up to see sewage spilling into the street and gardens.

Residents of the assisted-living homes at The Knapp say that the sewers have been a major issue for the past two decades, even after Thames Water said the issue had been fixed.

One resident said: “Thames Water has admitted the problem but hasn't resolved it. These poor people, I feel so sorry for them. One woman here is in her 80s and she has had enough. This isn’t the first time the houses have been flooded by sewage. The issues arise from disconnections in the sewage system which Thames Water told us was were fixed.”

Residents are angry that Thames Water has not responded to the flooding, despite installing alarms at properties.

“One of my neighbours was given a flood alarm. It went off last night for three-and-a-half hours and yet no one responded. They had to take the batteries out to stop it sounding. It took her one-and-a-half hours to get through to an emergency number for Thames Water. Nobody seems to correct that at all,” the homeowner added.

They say housing hosuing group Aster has been more helpful.

“Aster always turns up and helps clear up the mess, but it shouldn’t be their job to. It is Thames Water who should be the ones to show up,” the homeowner said.

A spokesman from Aster, speaking yesterday (May 11) said: “We are always sorry to hear about customers experiencing problems. We are currently contacting our customers at The Knapp to check if they need any support.”

Later in the day, Thames Water arrived in Great Bedwyn to help drain and clear the area and clear it of sewage.

A spokesman from Thames Water , speaking on Wednesday (May 11), said: “We have a team in The Knapp this afternoon to help our customers with the flooding and to investigate the cause. This part of our network is routinely maintained, with the sewer cleaned out every six months to help with the flow.”