A FAMILY of five - including an eight-week-old baby - and their pet dog were homeless last night after a flood devastated their newly decorated house.
Andy and Claire Main are blaming their landlords Worcester Community Housing for the destruction, claiming they did not fix a leaking tap in the bathroom.
They returned to their Drake Avenue semi in Dines Green yesterday afternoon and were devastated when they opened the door to find water cascading down the stairs, and gushing through the kitchen and lounge ceilings and through the side walls. The couple - who have an eight-week-old daughter Lelaine, an eight-year-old son Brandon and 13-year-old daughter Danica - had to rescue their dog Belle from the kitchen before calling the fire brigade to pump out the water.
Firefighters from Worcester and Droitwich had to salvage Lelaine's nappies from the
wreckage before getting to work on the flood.
A tearful Mrs Main, aged 34, said there had been problems with the plumbing for months, but each time she called WCH they sent someone to do a patch up job rather than replacing the system.
"I'm very angry and upset and I don't know what we are going to do," she said.
"Even after this it took them over an hour before anyone came.
"This is not the first time we have had plumbing problems but this is utter devastation."
She explained how a brand new kitchen had been fitted last August and since then, she and her husband had been decorating the whole house ready for her father to come and stay when he visits from Spain in two weeks.
"Everything's ruined now," she said.
Mr Main, aged 37, cited bad workmanship.
"It was like Niagara Falls when we walked in and our furniture has been ruined.
"Now the whole place needs gutting."
Craig Jeynes, assets manager from Worcester Community Housing, said there was evidence that DIY work had been carried out by the couple in the bathroom.
"We sent a plumber, brick layer and carpenter round to the house to start work," he said.
"They got the heat and power back on and the property was habitable, but Mr and Mrs Main decided to stay with a family friend last night.
"Usually in these situations we would make everything good within seven days, but due to the extensive drying out that needs to happen, this will be more likely to be seven to 14 days.
"The building work is covered by us but the Mains will have to claim on their insurance for the contents."
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