Freshly-opened Christmas presents were ruined after a burst pipe sent water flooding through ceilings in a basement flat on Burnham-On-Sea’s seafront this week.
The water gushed into the flat on The Esplanade early on Monday morning (December 27th) at the start of this week’s thaw.
Residents Neil Cartwright and Kelly Coffey called the fire brigade, who managed to halt the flow of water by turning off a nearby stopcock shortly after 5am.
However, many Christmas presents – including DVDs and games consoles – were ruined after being submerged in the water, as pictured above.
Neil told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “A burst pipe in an unoccupied part of the building caused the water to stream into our flat. It initially came through light fittings in the ceiling, then ran down the stairs and along the hallway.”
Kelly added: “Well over six inches of water came in – it was frightening – and we were relieved when the fire brigade managed to stop the water. Sadly, some presents were ruined or damaged, including a games console.”
She added: “It’s definitely not been a great Christmas for us, particularly given that we weren’t fully insured.”
“The water, gas and electricity have all had to be cut off while repairs are made, but our landlord has brought in several heaters to help us. It will probably be some time before things get back to normal.”
