Two pensioners has told of their flooding nightmare which means that every time it rains heavily their garden fills up with water and stinky sludge.
Geoff Cooper, 76, lives with his wife, Lucina, 78, live in Woodland Road, Stanton and have done since 1980. The couple's house is at the bottom of a dip, meaning that it is prone to flooding when it rains.
They have when it rains heavily standing water, gathers just yards from their home. In the latest downpour on Wednesday, January 24, sludge and debris washed down the hill and ended up in their garden fall comes, the couple have problems with standing water that is left around their house as it has nowhere to drain away.
Retired Mr Cooper said he had to go outside with a brush to clear out the drains after they had become blocked by debris. Although this helped to drain the water away, the debris that had been brought down by the water remained, creating a foul smell for Mr Cooper and his neighbours.
He said: "When it rains heavily, it always floods around this area, and all of the sewage sediment is left behind around our house. It's horrible.
"All the sludge comes down into our garden and in front of the house and smells absolutely horrible."
The former serviceman says he reported the issue to Derbyshire County Council and was later told to contact South Derbyshire District Council about the issue. After the sludge had lay outside his home for almost a week, teams from the district council headed down to Woodland Road on Monday, January 29, to clear away the mess that had been left.
He says the mess also causes problems for his wife, who previously worked as a personal assistant.
Mr Cooper said: "The sludge is absolutely disgusting and I had to put up with it for almost a week before it was cleaned up. I'm glad staff from South Derbyshire District Council came around to clean it up, but it is still a problem and it will happen again.
"My wife walks into Swadlincote town centre every day and when the weather get like this, it means she has to walk through sludge, ruining her shoes, and it is just generally horrible for her."
South Derbyshire District Council is responsible for keeping the streets across the area clean and teams carry out street cleaning on a regular basis, working with local parish councils.
This work includes emptying litter bins and dog waste bins every week, cleaning bus shelters, footways and road drains at least once a year.
In instances, such as Mr Cooper's, where debris is causing problems on someone's property or includes hazardous items, the council's rapid response unit can be called to clean the area.
A spokesman from the council said: "We received a report about standing water outside a property in Woodland Road, Stanton, on Friday afternoon. We visited at the earliest opportunity and jet-washed the footpath and swept the road to clear up any excess debris, surface water and leaves that were blocking the gully."
