Flooded homeowners face 'quadrupled' insurance bills

Residents on an estate which has been flooded twice this year say their insurance premiums have "quadrupled" and they are no longer covered for flooding.

In October, 15 homes on Bates Avenue in Blyth, Northumberland, were hit for the second time in six months, in what residents have called "a living nightmare".

Nick Tait, 24, said: "We had insurance for the first claim in April but now no one will touch us."

Northumbrian Water previously accepted the area was susceptible to flooding during heavy rainfall and it was upgrading the sewer network to reduce the risk.

The company has apologised for the damage and has installed flood protection measures such as flood gates, sandbags and waterproof barriers for those affected.

Resident Kerry Forster said the family would not be back in their home in time for Christmas.

"The insurance is the main problem," she said.

"We paid £140 last year and now it's nearly £900, which doesn't include flood protection.

"We'll find the money somewhere, but we're not protected against the biggest risk to our home."

Some residents have questioned whether houses should have been built on the site if it was at risk of flooding.

Pavan Maddipatla, who was rescued from his home in October, said: "We shouldn't be penalised financially for something that isn't our fault."

Housing developer Gleeson Homes said: "Investigative works have been carried out to ensure all works are in accordance with the required planning and building standards."

After the floods in October the company said it was "aware of issues relating to the existing drainage system which has caused problems during recent extreme weather conditions".

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].