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Road collapse brings flooding

Victoria Holman
17/ 8/2007

FOUR families may have to be evacuated after a burst drain pipe flooded their homes.

The drain pipe burst after a section of Bamford Road collapsed at about 6.50am on Friday.

Residents walked into the middle of the road to try to stop traffic driving through and forcing the water into their properties.

Keiran Slade, 23, who lives on Bamford Road, said: "I was standing in the middle of the road and trying to make the traffic reverse because every car that came past the house was pushing more water in.

"One van sped through and the water came up me like a tidal wave."

But the flood water seeped into four houses and Northern Counties Housing Association are visiting affected residents to discuss re-housing those affected.

Three feet of water covered sections of Bamford Road and drained down as far as West Starkey Street and Claybank Street.

Police, firefighters, and representatives from United Utilities and Rochdale Council's highways department were called to the scene.

The affected roads were closed but West Starkey Street and Claybank Street were re-opened at about 9.20am.

Bamford Road is expected to remain closed for at least a week.

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