Father's devastation as floods 'ruin' family home

A father-of-three says his life has been turned upside-down after floodwater "ruined" his family home.

Billy Vernon, who lives close to the River Axe in Axminster, Devon, said Storm Chandra had led to his property getting flooded with "filthy water" when it hit the South West on Monday.

He said the damage caused to sentimental items had been a "struggle" to deal with and some of his pet chickens had died in the flooding.

The self-employed builder, whose home has been flooded twice in two years, said he has to find temporary accommodation for his family.

Vernon said his home had been wrecked by knee-deep water.

"I've just been picking up my family photos, that's all gone, I can't find my mum's belongings which were in here somewhere," he said.

Vernon said flood defences were in place, but the water had "never been that deep" since he has lived in the property.

"There's nothing I can do about it really," he said.

"It's quite depressing that your family home is ruined, I've got to do it all again, start all over again."

Vernon said it was an "awful" sight to wake up and find his family home filling up with floodwater.

"I now face having to find a safe place to settle temporarily, for myself, my three children, plus my fourth child that is due in three weeks and our family pets as our home is not currently liveable," he added.

People in other areas of Devon have also been coming to terms with the damage left by recent storms.

Parts of the beach defences at Beesands in the South Hams area of Devon were washed away during Storm Ingrid.

Nick Hutchings, co-owner of the cafe Britannia at the Beach, said seawater got behind the defences and "ripped it to shreds really".

"The shingle has come up the driveways of all the houses with debris, small rocks and boulders and that sort of thing, its pretty devastating," he said.

"We're okay, it just gets a bit depressing, things get patched up and no real solution."

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