Heavy rain causes river of slurry in road

A deluge of slurry contaminated water nearly a foot deep flowed from the site of the former Wellbeck colliery and drenched properties on Portland Crescent and Elkesley Place on Thursday night.

Now as they deal with the muddy aftermath residents want to know who is responsible for the flooding which they say is the first to occur since the pit closed in 2010.

Ex miner Victor Jennings, of Portland Crescent said: “All hell broke loose on Thursday night - the water was running like a river down the street and round the back of our houses.

“The water was so deep I couldn’t open my back door and it left a coating of grey mud which covered my entire garden.

“My lawn is completely ruined and there is mud all over the house from when we had to clean it all up.

“I will be putting in a claim to replace my lawn - I want to know who is responsible for the site now.”

His home is just a few hundred yards from the spit site and he has lived in the former pit house for 20 years.

He added: “When the pit was going they used to have pumping stations for when the old slurry ponds over flowed.

“But it has never been as bad as this.”

On Elkesley Place, Michelle Burridge was contemplating a six inch thick coating of the slurry in the street and garden.

She said: “We were sat eating our tea when it started raining and our neighbour shouted for us to come outside.

“It was just like standing in the middle of a fast flowing river.

“When it had gone we were left with all this and we can’t do anything with it.”

Around the corner pumping vehicles could be seen driving from the pit site just yards away.