Residents face more weeks of flooding misery as their gardens have been left under water.

One family living in a cottage in Apperley Road, Apperley Bridge, Bradford, were flooded out before Christmas and a clean-up operation is continuing.

Now residents in Apperley Gardens have seen their garden furniture disappear under water, while the car park of the nearby George and Dragon pub is also flooded.

Water running off the car park has been pouring through a wall and causing flooding to the kerb and Apperley Road.

A Victorian drain underground on the pub site could be to blame but Bradford Council says its officers cannot investigate until water levels have subsided.

Elizabeth and Albert Heald, both 71, have lived in Apperley Gardens for nearly 50 years and say their garden has flooded a number of times over the past few weeks.

They have experienced flooding in the past due to a nearby beck, but they believe this recent flooding is down to a blockage.

The pair have been left devastated after spending hundreds of pounds to create their perfect garden.

Mrs Heald, who is disabled, said: "It is usually just our garden that floods, but this time all the neighbours' gardens have flooded as well.

"It has flooded in the past because of the beck but we think there is a drainage problem.

"We just want someone to do something about it. I just feel we are being passed from one person to another. We have spend a lot of money on the garden and when the water goes down we will just be left with black sludge."

Neighbour Susan Henson has lived in her house for four years and said she would not have moved in if she had known there would be problems with flooding. She was concerned it could affect the value of the homes.

Mike Wilson, area manager for the Orchid pub group, which runs the George and Dragon, said the company was in talks with Bradford Council over a Victorian drain on the site of the pub.

He said: "From our perspective, it is the responsibility of Bradford Council. Adjacent properties which have been flooded are at a lower level than the pub.

"The drain may or not be the problem."

David Oldcorn, land drainage officer for Bradford Council, said: "We are working with the residents to investigate the cause of this localised flooding.

"We need to wait until the water levels recede before we can put a camera down the culvert to try to locate the source of the problem.

"We will continue to communicate with the residents as matters progress."

e-mail: mel.fairhurst@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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