HELP could be at hand for neighbours whose lives have been made a misery by repeated flooding in Thundersley.

The day after a water main erupted in Broomfield, off Daws Heath Road, a case manager has been appointed to work with residents.

Jenny Abel, who works for Essex and Suffolk Water, called on neighbours on Wednesday, May 1 and “promised” to work with them and keep them informed about what the firm’s plans are.

Karen McArdle, 57, is encouraged to have a point of contact after being left to count the cost of the damage flooding has caused on three occasions in just five years.

She said: “It’s a helpful start and it’s a first, we’ve never had an appointed person before.

“When you’ve been flooded three times in four years the projection could be that it will happen again “Having a point of contact is useful, but the question is can she deliver? That remains to be seen, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Ms McArdle’s back garden was ruined when murky water and sludge gushed down the driveway on Tuesday afternoon, April 30 destroying plants, seedlings and the lawn. It will now need to be re-turfed.

Residents were told a 4m stretch of pipe had burst, but Ms McArdle said replacing the pipe that runs along the length of Broomfield is something that has been mentioned.

However that has not been confirmed by Essex Suffolk and Water.

A clean-up operation has since been carried out with contractors filling the hole where the main burst and jet washing the road surface, as well as resident’s driveways.

An Essex and Suffolk Water spokesman said the 25 properties affected had their water supply restored at 7pm on Tuesday night.

He said: “We’re working individually with each of the customers affected to resolve the situation and have appointed a specialist case manager to work more closely with the local community and residents.

“Investigations have shown the burst was on an older section of pipe in Broomfield. We continue to invest in upgrading the water network in Thundersley, for example we renewed 600m of pipe in Daws Heath Road in 2009 following an incident on Broomfield in 2008 to minimise the risk of flooding to our customers.

“Work will continue to reinstate the grass verge in the location of the burst water main and the majority of the footpath will be reinstated by today apart from a concrete section which may take up to ten days to set.”