andco
02-07-2007, 14:17
We've been out to Catcliffe and via the local grapevine learned Laughton was in dire straits so we went to look around. It was far worse than expected.
Laughton is a mix of private and council properties and people are in work or on benefits; some people have insurance while others are not with all the implications this entails.
We were saddened to learn Laughton is not recognised as a crisis area and only received sandbags the day after floods, which was too late because they were well flooded. Watermarks indicate a good 2ft of water flooding.
Laughton residents have no electricity, gas supplies were turned off, they do not have any landlines, can not cook hot meals and the Salvation Army only provides one hot meal a day. The Council has come to accept some responsibility and agreed to do some basic internal cleaning up. The street is lined with skips; all the downstairs carpets and furniture are out on the street pending disposal in to skips which are ready for collection.
We met one young lady with two tots - all her kiddies clothing was destroyed in the floods. As it couldnt be salvaged we advised her to chuck the lot and would flag up her urgent priority here on SF. An elderly man, well in to his 70s has been temporarily relocated by kind friends and anxiously awaits restoration of his utility supplies - not surprisingly none of the utility companies had turned up although they were waiting from 8am this morning.
Apart from Salvation Army activities they've had little support from public or other bodies. All of the people we met were deeply distressed by the way they feel they've been treated, were tearful and doing their best to hold back tears.
As they generally have beds, bedding, towels and clothing because all of the damage was downstairs, apart from the kidies clothes we are looking for urgent donations of all manner of household items for downstairs use, ie kitchen furniture, crockery, cutlery, washing machines, toasters, kettles, fridges, cookers, sofas & armchairs, curtains and blinds etc.
Laughton is a mix of private and council properties and people are in work or on benefits; some people have insurance while others are not with all the implications this entails.
We were saddened to learn Laughton is not recognised as a crisis area and only received sandbags the day after floods, which was too late because they were well flooded. Watermarks indicate a good 2ft of water flooding.
Laughton residents have no electricity, gas supplies were turned off, they do not have any landlines, can not cook hot meals and the Salvation Army only provides one hot meal a day. The Council has come to accept some responsibility and agreed to do some basic internal cleaning up. The street is lined with skips; all the downstairs carpets and furniture are out on the street pending disposal in to skips which are ready for collection.
We met one young lady with two tots - all her kiddies clothing was destroyed in the floods. As it couldnt be salvaged we advised her to chuck the lot and would flag up her urgent priority here on SF. An elderly man, well in to his 70s has been temporarily relocated by kind friends and anxiously awaits restoration of his utility supplies - not surprisingly none of the utility companies had turned up although they were waiting from 8am this morning.
Apart from Salvation Army activities they've had little support from public or other bodies. All of the people we met were deeply distressed by the way they feel they've been treated, were tearful and doing their best to hold back tears.
As they generally have beds, bedding, towels and clothing because all of the damage was downstairs, apart from the kidies clothes we are looking for urgent donations of all manner of household items for downstairs use, ie kitchen furniture, crockery, cutlery, washing machines, toasters, kettles, fridges, cookers, sofas & armchairs, curtains and blinds etc.