26 May 2024 , 12:12
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A couple say their £1million home has been "destroyed" after it was flooded by sewage.
Buster and Patricia Price have been left traumatised after masses of untreated waste emerged from their toilet last Wednesday. They say their property in Chislehurst, south-east London has been left completely uninhabitable after the entire ground floor flooded leaving up to three inches of raw sewage in some rooms.
Most of their possessions including antiques have been ruined, with retired headteacher Mr Price estimating that more than £100,000 worth of damage has been caused. He claims that Thames Water are "refusing" to take responsibility for the nightmare scenario. The company said it was "very sorry" in a statement.
Mr Price, 70, said: "I came home last Wednesday after being at the shops and when I opened the door, I found that the entire place was full of untreated sewage to a depth of around three inches. It was horrendous. Disgusting. It absolutely stank and was of course also unhygienic."
The property has been left completely uninhabitable (Buster Price/SWNS)Now, a week on, Mr Price's home is still uninhabitable and he and his wife have been living in their youngest son's flat. He said: "We're staying at my youngest son's flat at the moment, but it's not ideal for them or us as his partner is pregnant and there's only a single spare bed so I'm on the sofa."
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"I've said to Thames Water that they need to sort out accommodation but they haven't. It's unacceptable to be forced out of my home by Thames Water and for them to then take no responsibility." Mr Price say he and his wife are under huge stress at the moment as they worry that the longer things go unseen to the more irreparable the damage will be.
"Thames Water have sent in cleaners but it still stinks and the sewage has seeped into the plaster," he said. "There's mould starting to grow on the walls, too. It's disgusting. The whole place will need to be gutted. It's upsetting as we had such a beautiful home that is, until Thames Water decided to fill it with sewage."
Buster and Patricia have been left traumatised by the mess (Buster Price/SWNS)Mr Price said when the incident first occurred, he was shocked but thought things would work out in the end. "I thought, 'Gosh, this is awful, Thames Water have made a botch up. But it will be alright because they'll sort it out'," he said. "But they haven't. Instead, they're trying to worm their way out of it.
"It's verging on criminal the way they don't care about the people they are serving because they know we don't have any other option. I'm concerned for mine and my wife's health and I'm outraged that our home has been violated and destroyed. When I was a headteacher, I had to be on top of risk assessments all the time. If I'd done something to this scale, I'd have been sacked for gross negligence."
Untreated sewage waste that emerged from Buster and Patricia Price's toilet in their house (Buster Price/SWNS)A spokesperson for Thames Water apologised for what had happened. They said: "We're very sorry that Mr Price has experienced internal sewer flooding at his home. We know just how unpleasant and distressing this can be and have been working with him to resolve the matter.
"Our specialist contractors have completed an in-depth clean up at Mr Price's home, and he has been supported by one of our dedicated Customer Representatives whom he spoke with on Monday (May 20) as we continue to review this incident." The water company has not identified the cause of the flooding.