Arthur Thompson's home was badly damaged by flooding

Dozens of properties in Darfield were flooded twice in June with the effects running into July.

Although flood defences built in 1959 had protected the village, some now feel they are inadequate.

The Environment Agency, which is responsible for the defences said they were not breached, but "overtopped".

The flood defence wall at the side of the River Dearne at the top of Church View in the village was put in place in 1959 and residents said they had not experienced any flooding in the area since.

But that changed in June with several inches of flooding and was repeated with even deeper flood waters later in the month.

Defences are designed to protect areas of flooding from a particular flood Peter Holmes Environment Agency

Many of the houses in the area have been linked up to receive the Environment Agency's automated flood alert by telephone.

But there have been so many alarms without flooding over the years that few residents considered evacuating their homes when the calls came just hours before the water swept over the defence.

Flood victim Arthur Thompson said: "'We've no confidence at all. According to the weather forecasters this autumn we're going to get some flooding again."

Derek Frost is also still looking for answers, he said: "It's a worry that it will flood again. They're not going to get flood defences in the next few years.

"They are starting on some, but having said that, to get the flood defence that are required, it might take another five years."

The Environment Agency said its defences were never breached.

Peter Holmes, from the agency, said: "There's a subtle difference between breaching and overtopping.

"Defences are designed to protect areas of flooding from a particular flood.

"There are times when those defences will be defeated because the flood is bigger than that for which they have been designed for, and that's what we mean by defences being overtopped, which is what happened in the cases in June."

A full report will be broadcast on the Politics Show at noon on Sunday, 16 September