Southern Water pledges to restore flooded homes after storm pumps fail

Flooding in Herne Bay in Kent could have been caused by storm pumps failing, according to Southern Water.

Several households and companies were affected following heavy rainfall last weekend.

A section of coast between Whitstable and Herne Bay was also closed off to swimmers after wastewater was released into the sea.

The situation was described by Canterbury City Council as becoming "disappointingly normal".

Watch: Homeowner shows ground floor covered in water

Southern water has pledged to restore the homes to their previous state and replace any items which have been damaged in the incident.  

A spokesperson said: “We will ensure that we restore homes to their previous state and replace any items which have been damaged in this incident.

"Our priority is to ensure that your home is restored to its previous state and any items damaged are replaced as quickly as possible. We are committed to going the extra mile to support you at a difficult time."The pledge also includes any customer who does not have home insurance.

In July, Southern Water was fined a record 90 million pounds for dumping billions of litres of raw sewage into the sea over 6 years to avoid financial penalties and the cost of upgrading infrastructure.