Mayor calls for ‘emergency response team’ as Dunstable mops up after flooding chaos

Dunstable mayor Cllr Louise O'Riordan said: "It's devastating because we've got such a close community here. It's the people that make this town, and some of those are the businesses, and to see them suffering, it just breaks my heart."

She has called on Central Bedfordshire Council to help the town create an ‘emergency response team’ to be in place for when Dunstable is next hit by heavy rainfall.

She explained: “[Residents] needed to stop water coming in, and they needed a way of getting the water out, and we couldn't provide that to them. So I what I want is an emergency response team, which I'm more than happy to be part of.

"There should be an emergency number. Even CBC should have an emergency number – whether it's outsourced or it's internal, there should have been someone we could have called on Sunday.”

Central Bedfordshire Council has been approached for comment.

Alex Mayer MP met with Water and Floods Minister, Emma Hardy MP, today to discuss the flooding and invited the Minister to visit the town to see the impact.

Ms Mayer said: “I know how the devastating impact of a flash flood on a home or business can take weeks, months or sometimes years to put right. We are living in the midst of a climate emergency and so sadly we will see more and more of these types of severe weather events.”

Emma Hardy MP said: “I discussed the situation in Dunstable with Alex Mayer today. My thoughts are with those affected. In these situations it’s important to follow the advice of emergency responders and sign up for @EnvAgency flood warnings.

"That is why the new Government is acting now to speed up the building of flood defences and bolster our emergency response.”

Cllr Louise also noted that business owners had been clearing blocked drains by themselves. She said: “Nobody should have to put their bare hands in a drain, you shouldn't have to do that. There could be needles and all sorts in there. That's incredibly dangerous. But what do you do in an emergency situation? You're going to do whatever you possibly can. I felt so helpless.”

Victoria Hooker lives in a converted pub in High Street North. She found her basement had flooded with water pouring through the window and onto her belongings, ruining irreplaceable family photos.

Victoria explained: “We ran down the stairs. There was water all down the hallway, all through the cellar. It was everywhere. It was terrifying. We kept a lot of stuff downstairs: pictures, books, shoes, things like that. It’s going to be wrecked.”

She added: “ It was a freak of nature, that was a lot of rain. We've been here over a year, and we've never had that flood before.”

Pictures shared with Luton News showed drains blocked with debris on Union Street, at the rear of Victoria’s property.

And it has not just been homes affected, businesses have felt the force of the floods, with one charity shop having to close its doors for repairs.

Paul Freeman, manager of the British Heart Foundation store in West Street, said: “It’s been heart-breaking to see the damage caused by the recent flooding in our store. To protect our staff and the public, we have temporarily closed, and we are working hard to reopen as soon as possible.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone back into the store very soon. We will be hugely grateful for any support when we reopen, whether you want to donate or shop with us. Every item we sell will help us raise money for lifesaving research.”

Water had seeped into the new office of Urban and Rural Estate Agents in Dunstable. On Sunday, the business said: “We've only just reopened with our swish new office…

"It was lovely to see our business neighbours helping out, pulling up drain holes and poking around. It's safe to say we were literally swimming up to our knees.”

Nadine O’Hara, owner of R&R Hair Services, has been flooded for the fourth time in 14 years.

She said: “I feel angry, disappointed in the council. It's the stress that it brings to all of us. It's so distressing and upsetting.

"It always comes in the middle of the night, so we're out dragging all the leaves out the drains to try and stop the flooding. Every time we lose something, and we don't get insured anymore.”

Another business owner, Tony Bailey of Bailey Hairdressers, has been in the town for 40 years and criticised the council’s placement of flood defences.

He said: “We've designed the salon around getting flooded. So when we get flooded, there's little damage. It's more of a clear up, mop up.

“The council had decided to build what they called a flood defence in Dunstable. It is like a red flag for the insurance company. That would be great if the defence worked, but from day one, the defence hasn't worked. If they'd have asked us, we would have told them that they were putting it in the wrong place.”