A RUNCORN mum said she has been “frustrated” after repeated flooding turned her garden into mud.

Kirstie Quentin said the flooding at her home in Windmill Hill had left her garden looking “like a pigsty” and complained she had been “fobbed off” by her landlord, Onward Homes, when she told them about the problem.

She said: “It’s not a garden. When the weather’s nice, I can’t sit outside with my children.

“When we had the ice, myself, my kids and my mum and friends all slipped on it because it flooded.”

Ms Quentin said she had originally complained to Onward Homes about the problem in July 2020 and the company sent contractors to fix the issue in October.

But, she added, all they did was put new topsoil down and lay flagstones on top of the existing flags, meaning there was little drainage and the garden continued to flood.

Pictures from November show that the garden was turned completely to mud, while more recent images show it is still badly damaged.

Kirstie Quentin\s garden in Windmill Hill, Runcorn, in November 2020. Flooding has turned the soil to mud. Credit Kirstie Quentin, cleared for use by BBC partners.

Kirstie Quentin\'s garden in Windmill Hill, Runcorn, in November 2020. Flooding has turned the soil to mud. Credit Kirstie Quentin, cleared for use by BBC partners.

Ms Quentin added that she had been trying to get Onward Homes to install a drain for months but had got nowhere.

She said: “I was arguing with the fella saying it needs a drain putting in, he looked at me like I was a muppet.” 

When approached by the LDRS, Onward Homes said it was reopening Ms Quentin’s case and had arranged an appointment to install a drain in her garden.

A spokesperson for the company said: “A job request was raised with us and we visited the property in July 2020. Following further investigation, major works to provide a more permeable solution to the flooding were carried out by our contractors in October 2020.

“As the issue has persisted, an appointment has been arranged for Wednesday 7 April with our contractor to install further drainage to the garden. We will also reassess soft landscaping options with a land surveyor to eliminate the risk of future flooding.

“Responding to customers and resolving their requests for help, whilst always following our safe systems of working due to the current situation, is a very high priority for us.”