THE Johnson family are fed up after their Coleford home was flooded for the second time in 18 months – despite pleas to the council to fix drains that cause it.
"This time it happened at 1am," said Mark Johnson, who lives at the Staunton Road property with his wife Paula and their two sons Billy, 9, and Carl, 20.
A culvert which drains sloping agricultural land across the road became blocked with debris carried off fields and built up a huge head of water which swept into his home to a height of three feet or more.
Mr Johnson managed to stem the worst of it by wedging a door across his front entrance but it diverted water to his garage and back yard and flooded a car.
He says he had approached the council many times since Christmas eve in 1999 when the same thing happened, ruining everything including presents and food.
"We had nothing left," he said. "I went round to the Lambsquay Inn where I know the owner and he lent me bread and milk, just the basics to get by."
Now he is even more despondent because he wants to sell the house but is worried buyers might be put off.
"We only moved here from London in 1998 and we love it and have made many friends. But we just wanted to fix this house up and move somewhere else near – Carl will soon move out and we want something smaller," he said.
He believes nothing short of a major overhaul of the area's drainage will sort things out, but the council always says it doesn't have the money.
"I'm less than impressed with them," he said. "Especially when you see the money that has been spent on their offices. Also, you keep hearing about all the grants that are coming to the Forest. Where's it all going?"
•The same night's flooding badly hit the Gamekeeper Inn at Five Acres, where owners Lawrence and Clare Brown and their three sons have had to move out while the premises are cleaned up.