BUSINESSES in Enfield are calling for urgent flood protection after a deluge swept through their units during a Saturday afternoon downpour.

Mike Pearman, of Windsor Carpets, Windsor Road, described the torrent of water coming off an embankment at the back of the business units as "like Niagara Falls".

Staff moved quickly to hoist carpets off the ground as water gushed through and luckily, they managed to save the stock.

Derek Wilson, of nearby Conserve Guitars, was also seriously affected - though his instruments were saved because most of them were hung on the wall.

Mr Wilson said: "It's the second time this year we've been flooded out down here. There's a serious problem with drainage. It's ridiculous.

"All the water just comes straight off the Brockhill estate because there's nowhere for it to go.

"I was lucky with my guitars, though the carpet is going to take a bit of drying out."

The council moved quickly to sandbag the area but both Mr Pearman and Mr Wilson feared further downpours could mean more flooding.

A council spokesman said there were a number of floods in the north of the town around Batchley Brook, Red Ditch and the River Arrow and said long-term investigations were being made with the Environment Agency to see if any action could improve the watercourses.

The spokesman added: "In the case of the two ordinary watercourses, the effects of heavy rainfall possibly appear to have been exacerbated by poor maintenance by landowners on the river banks.

"We urge all landowners near these, or any other ordinary watercourses, to adopt a regular maintenance programme to maintain the effectiveness of these open channels."

The spokesman also said irresponsible dumping of rubbish, landscape waste, shopping trolleys and such like was affecting the flow of the watercourses despite efforts to clear them.