Residents are furious that Thames Water has not taken any steps to protect their homes from being flooded with sewage again. They also complain that the company has not properly compensated them for the damage caused to their property. Homes and business

Residents are furious that Thames Water has not taken any steps to protect their homes from being flooded with sewage again.

They also complain that the company has not properly compensated them for the damage caused to their property.

Homes and businesses in Maida Vale, were flooded with muck in July 2007 and June 2009 because the drainage system could not cope with heavy rainfall.

But the water company is yet to improve it.

John Pocknee, 70, of Shirland Road, Maida Vale, said: "I'm housebound and I couldn't sleep in a bed until about three weeks ago, because it was in the basement and got wet.

"We couldn't put the new orthopaedic bed in there until the room had dried out.

"So I had to sleep on the ground floor on the sofa, which wasn't very nice because I've just had two hips replaced."

Julia Neal, a leading member of the Maida Flood Action Group, added: "We want Thames Water to put in some special tanks like it has in other areas so if there is a downpour there's somewhere for the water to go.

"We did our own flood survey asking people about the effect on their lives and we've had more than 100 responses.

"It's frightening how many people have had issues with insurance, problems with their health and just the stress of it.

"Some people have been offered �100 or �150 off their next water bill. If your losses are tens of thousands of pounds it's beyond an insult."

Joanne Cash, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Westminster North, said: "My office is in Shirland Road so I saw the devastation first hand. Five months have now passed and it is completely unacceptable for Thames Water still not to have acted decisively to stop this happening again."

A Thames Water spokesman said: "We are developing a plan to help sort this problem out and we are grateful to the Maida Flood Action Group for helping us with it."

Thames Water is due for crunch talks with the Maida Flood Action Group on December 7 to discuss the issue.