It's carnage, I wouldn't wish it on anyone

RESIDENTS FORCED FROM FLATS TELL OF AGONY AS CARS WRECKED

- CHRIS SLATER

RESIDENTS of an apartment block who have been forced out of their homes and had their cars written off after it was hit by floods say they are 'gutted!

Meadow Mill, next to the Tesco store off the Portwood roundabout in Stockport, was left marooned by water after the River Tame, which runs behind it, burst its bank in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Those living in the flats, which are on the upper floors of the converted 19th century mill, were left trapped as the water engulfed the car park and meant the building could, for a time, only be accessed by boat.

More than 400 people were evacuated by the emergency services and forced to spend the night with friends or family, or in hotels. They have not yet been told when they will be able to move back in.

Many returned yesterday to collect belongings, but also to examine their vehicles, almost all of which are likely to be written off.

Street cleaners tackled the layers of mud and silt as electricity workers examined a nearby substation and recovery trucks arrived to tow the vehicles away.

Mohammed Junaid, 35, who lives on the top floor, said: "We got a message in our WhatsApp group saying water was coming through some of the patio doors. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Then I got another message saying it was flooding bad.

"I looked out and it was already pretty high. I came down about 3am to see if I could get my car out. I drove it around the back but once I turned the corner I had the choice of driving into an enormous pool, which I didn't think I'd get through, or ditching it.