A Powys councillor has described a street in Welshpool as being “ankle deep in sewage” after flooding hit the town this week.

Following a series of floods in Powys caused by a period of heavy rainfall on Wednesday, October 16, Borfa Green Bank in Welshpool was left with an overflow of sewage after a manhole cover was forced up by the floodwater.

In the wake of the overflow, Powys councillor Graham Breeze criticised water company Hafred Dyfrdwy for a sluggish response to the issue, which he added is “not the first time this has happened”.

Cllr Breeze added via social media that he had been told by Hafred Dyfrdwy that their team would be on the scene “within three days”, but that the manhole cover had been replaced by Powys Council staff after the flow of water decreased.

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He said: “The sheer force of water lifted a very heavy cover and raw sewage was floating down Borfa Green Bank. This is not the first time this has happened, and I have had to call out Hafren Dyfrdwy on other occasions.

“It’s a disappointing response from Hafren Dyfrdwy that they would respond within 3 days to an emergency.

“I also spoke to a guy who said he was in Coventry and then took 10 minutes to find Welshpool on his map.

“When I said I was standing ankle deep in Hafren Dyfrdwy's sewage in an effort to manage traffic and was stopping drivers from hitting an open manhole he said he hoped I had a nice day.

(Image: NQ)

"Powys County Council staff managed to replace the manhole once the water slowed down and have left warning bollard.

“I would like to pay tribute to the Powys County Council staff who worked really hard to deal with Welshpool flooding and across the rest of Powys and continue to do so.”

In response, a Hafren Dyfrdwy spokesperson said: “We are aware of the issue at Borfa Green Bank and want to thank the customer for making us aware of the situation.

"Due to the unprecedented rainfall, it has taken extra time to attend and we’re really sorry about that. Our team is due to go out to site as a priority and will carry out investigations.”