ANGRY residents have called for flood defences for the Valley to prevent further disasters like the floods last week.

About 150 attended an ad hoc meeting at St Michael’s School on Monday night, when a petition was started.

Dozens of homes were flooded without warning in Station Road and Stonyford Road last Friday, and chair of the meeting Pete Bradshaw said the Ings site was ‘completely wiped out’. Darfield Bridge around Cliff Road also suffered severe flooding on Saturday.

Residents suggested new housing estates built on flood plains could have contributed to the flooding. They also voiced concern that more developments are proposed.

Mr Bradshaw said to the meeting: “They are building housing estates wherever they want and we are thinking about the consequences after they’ve walked away with their millions of pounds.”

There were also complaints that the council was slow to act on the immediate aftermath. One speaker said sandbags were too few and came too late after waters had got inside houses.

But Mr Bradshaw says since the meeting there has been much more help with the clear up.

The gypsy community on the Ings were among the worst hit by the floods and may have to demolish their chalets. Parts of their site, which they have owned since 1960, were 6ft under water.

Coun David Wainwright said: “The circumstances are dire but I have been around the sites and the people affected have been very supportive and praise worthy.

“The people I have spoken to have praised the services of the council, police, fire, Berneslai Homes, the SNT and the Neighbourhood Pride team.