A fed-up nurse has sent a scathing letter to her local councillors after flooding on Christmas Day left residents trapped in their homes. 

Residents of Cedar Close in Basingstoke struggled to leave their houses after their street became an ice-rink. 

The road is still flooded, which they say is putting the lives of families in further misery at the end of a difficult year.

Despite several complaints to councillors and Hampshire County Council, residents say there has been no permanent solution to the flooding problem.

There was an ice rink in front of Nathalie Menicou’s house on Christmas, which made it impossible to get her car out on the only day she was allowed to see her family.

Ms. Menicou, a registered nurse who is already stressed at her work because of the rise in coronavirus cases, has further been affected by the flood.

“Our road has been getting flooded for 30 years,” she said.

“I have complained 10 times during the two years I lived here. There are people who have complained several times.

“The council sends a tanker to empty the water, but there has not been a permanent solution for this problem.

“I am just getting fed up with this.

“There are people aged 80 and above who live at the end of the street who cannot even get out to buy essential goods.”

Ms. Menicou, 32, has now sent a scathing email to Councillor Derek Mellor, in which she has highlighted the continuing problems and photographs of the flooded street.

In her email to the councillor, Ms. Menicou wrote: “Hope you had a wonderful Xmas. Us on the other have been worried sick of the flooding and ice rink we have had to deal with in our street.

“Yet again [there was] flooding over my grass and families [were] unable to get out of the road to see their family from one household on the one day of the year. This has already been a tough year for families and on the only day we are allowed to see them, we could not exit our road.”

Replying to the letter, Cllr Mellor said: "You made your point, although my own experience in the past few days has been that the short section of the cul de sac in the photographs that is experiencing the surface water problem is passable by an average sized vehicle. As you know, we did undertake some water removal activity over the past two weeks but of course.

"In our conversation and my previous correspondence I was able to update you on Engineer visits, drain clearing activities you had witnessed and also to share with you, following my exchanges with our HCC Highways Management this week, a broad overview of the potential soakaway problem which is clearly more than the capacity of the roadside drain. A further engineer visit is/was planned for today (Tuesday) and then a decision on the action required will be taken. As to whether this will be a repeat of the jetting etc or fixing a schedule for the more advanced work we discussed is to be advised.

"Clearly , after several flood warnings throughout the County (and Southern England) there is a temporary shortage of the necessary equipment needed to explore the area; as I explained and you accepted that our focus has always to be on the need/priority to keep the highway clear for traffic; the need to protect houses and the safety of the public. Generally the pavements as depicted in many of the photos have not been encroached although I share your concern re elderly residents possibly slipping on the surface.

"I note your claim as to the length of the problem; clearly in past years the problem has been treated as temporary as the records reflect that eventually the water has dissipated. I note too that you purchased your house three years ago and were warned by the vendors that there was occasional (likely to) flooding. Hence what I have sought is that the continual surface water problem you have is treated on a long term basis and not just to alleviate the surface water that appears in winter when the inclement weather is upon us."