HEALTH worker Maria Chaundy is demanding compensation from Thames Water after her garden was flooded with sewage for the third time in a year.

Miss Chaundy, 32, of Meadow View Road, Kennington, first complained to the water company last Easter after a manhole cover in a neighbouring property leaked, covering her garden and patio with raw sewage.

A similar leak happened in February, then last Wednesday it bubbled up again.

Miss Chaundy, who lives with her nine-year-old daughter Jessica, was “livid” that Thames Water took so long to clean up – only sending contractors yesterday.

Miss Chaundy, who works as a healthcare assistant at the John Radcliffe Hospital, said: “On the two previous occasions I phoned the Vale of White Horse District Council because I live in a council property, and they told me they alerted Thames Water.

“This time, Thames Water said it would send someone round on Saturday, but no-one showed up. I am livid that they left it almost a week before cleaning up the mess.

“I will be applying for compensation because it will cost me a few hundred pounds to replace equipment in my garden.”

Teresa Sturgess, Miss Chaundy’s next-door neighbour, also called on Thames Water to rectify the problem.

She said: “In the latest incident, the sewage got on to the road and an alleyway which children use to get to St Swithun’s Primary School.

“Thames Water has had long enough to sort this out.”

Simon Evans, from Thames Water, said: “We are really sorry for the distress caused to Miss Chaundy.

“We are carrying out a thorough clean-up of her garden and of the next-door premises, where the problem started.

“We suspect a tree root has grown through the sewer, causing a blockage, so we are putting a CCTV camera down there to check, before we start unblocking work.

“We had not realised the problem at the neighbouring property had been affecting Miss Chaundy too.”

* Oxford’s Florence Park was closed for nearly two days last week after a sewage leak.

A spokesman for Oxford City Council said the problem had been repaired by Thames Water and there were no outstanding issues.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk