A 91-year-old woman was devastated to find heavy rainfall had flooded the outside of her home for the second year running.

Betty Flavell, of Bretton Lane, near Broughton, has lived in her home for 49 years.

The Leader reported last year the widow’s garden had been flooded, leaving her “petrified” the rain would continue and cause a lot of damage to her home.

And Storm Doris on Thursday left her home flooded again.

Mrs Flavell said: “It’s a disgrace. It is worse than what we had last year. 

“I just feel like I’m back to square one because no one does anything. 

“I’m 91 years old, I do not have any relatives. I just rely on friends. 

“It has been about 11 inches high in the garden and there is eight inches of water in my garage where I keep my car.

Video and images by Geoff Abbott / NWN Media

“It’s really bad. When you’re on your own who do you turn to? You just rely on your neighbours. 

“You can’t see the lawn or the drive, it’s covered in water and it has even rained by my back door. I can’t sleep, it’s keeping me up at night with so much worry.”

Mrs Flavell, who worked for Airbus in Broughton for 42 years, believed her animals have also been affected.

She said her chihuahua, Molly, “almost disappeared” as she waded through the deep water in the garden. According to the pensioner, the hens who live in her garden did not want to get out of their cage because of the flood. 

“I have had the driveway done twice now. I can’t afford to keep paying out,” she added. 

“There’s no damage inside but it’s not doing the wall any good. I’m just fed up with it. I love my home. It’s heartbreaking. 

“I spend hours in my garden looking after the flowers and plants. 

“And I would be most upset if it were to affect my furniture, it would finish me off.”

Mrs Flavell is grateful for the help received from Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami and Cllr Billy Mullin, who she said has been “very kind”.

They worked together with Airbus, who provided funding to find a solution for the flooding, to support her as a past and valued employee.

Mr Tami said: “We first tried the [Flintshire] council but that wasn’t very forthcoming. 

“Welsh Water have been very helpful but they did not come up with any financial support.”

Cllr Mullin said: “We have tried to do our best to alleviate the problem. 

“We have got some funding and we have done a number of things but the solution – we just don’t know. We even got advice from Welsh Water but that failed.

”Properties were built around her home and she’s at a lower level. 

“When they were not there, there was a ditch at the back of the property. Over a period of time there’s been that much hardstanding, with the retail park and other developments, it’s probably the water table that is the problem.

“The natural drainage is being affected. The natural way the water used to drain is not there anymore and the water is not getting away.

“I won’t leave her in the lurch. We have got to do something.”

Mr Tami added they managed to get the fire brigade out again on Friday, which assured Mrs Flavell that they will take action once the water gets to a certain point. 

Unfortunately there’s not enough water there at the moment to pump it away.