RESIDENTS at a block of flats in Winchester were left 'disgusted' with the council after it took hours to respond to a leak that caused flooding and left people without water, heating or electricity. 

A pipe burst around the back of Craddock House in Winnall at 4am on Saturday, November 12. Videos show gallons of water spewing from the pipe which poured into the bottom three floors.

Residents were quick to call Winchester City Council but contractors didn’t arrive until around 11pm to fix the problem. During this time some people, living in one-bedroom flats, were left without water.

A spokesperson for Winchester City Council said: “We’re very sorry for the delay and confusion that happened over the weekend with the reporting of the water leak at Craddock House.

"We’re prioritising an urgent review of our out of hours process with our service provider, where there was a delay in alerting the relevant officers. This fell short of the usual service we pride ourselves in delivering for our residents and recognise the distress caused.

"Once officers were alerted they were able to attend on site straightaway, locate the stopcock and ensure the homes were safe. Staff will be in contact with affected residents, as we would expect to cover all reasonable costs associated, such as the use of a dehumidifier.”

Alicia Stevens moved to the property in August with her three-year-old autistic son. The mother, who’s 20 weeks pregnant, called the council and Southern Water more than 20 times. The first-floor resident said: “Their communication was ridiculous. They didn’t understand anything we were saying. The number of calls it took to get them to do their job was astonishing.

“We had loads of flood damage. It was continuous towels, but it was coming through the boiler which meant we had to have the electricity switched off, we had no hot water and no heating. The water wasn’t even dripping it was pouring out the bottom of the boiler.

“I was ridiculously stressed. Trying to keep my son out of harm’s way of flooding while trying to mop up the water was really hard.”

Video footage shows the water hitting Alicia's flat window. She described the impact of the experience as "absolutely extreme" on her mental health.

READ MORE: Hampshire County Council calls for urgent Government support

Veronica Englefield, who lives on the second floor, said: “They should have come out straight away because it was an emergency for everybody. Their response was disgusting, really appalling.

“Poor communication because there were several people phoning them and then they were denying that they had received a phone call.”

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During the day the water spouting out the pipe changed direction to hit Veronica’s window and started to come through the resident’s air vent and boiler. Veronica, 45, added: “Gallons of water was coming out really fast and it was reaching the second floor where I live.

“I got really panicked and distressed. What I panicked about is the pressure was so strong that my window could have smashed and then what would I have done? The whole flat would have been flooded.

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“The council should be giving people compensation for the stress, worry and the damage.”

Veronica said she called the fire service at around 7pm and a crew was there approximately 40 minutes later.

A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) said: “A crew from Winchester Fire Station were called to a flooded property on Winnall Manor Road on Saturday after the water had started to affect the electrics.

“Firefighters pumped water from the building and made the scene safe before HIWFRS returned to the station having handed the incident over to Winchester City Council to isolate the electrics.”

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At 9.14pm on Saturday the council posted on Facebook: “We are aware of a water leak that is affecting some properties at Craddock House, Winnall. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service are on site and our contractors are responding - if you have any concerns please call 01962 865 407.”

According to Veronica, she phoned the council at 7am but they said they didn't hear of any issue until 2pm.

Contactors on behalf of the council eventually turned up at around 11pm to fix the issue and residents now have electricity and water. Both Veronica and Alicia have filed complaints to the city council.