Heavy rain leads to more than 200 cesspit callouts

A water company has dealt with more than 200 emergency cesspit call outs due to an "incredible level" of rainfall.

Guernsey Water said it had responded to more calls in a week than it would usually get in one month.

Business change manager Andrea Simpson said its company drivers were working hard in the "very, very wet and challenging conditions".

As heavy rain continues to hit the Channel Islands, local authorities are warning of localised flooding.

Simpson said: "This is all down to the incredible level of rainfall, with February seeing twice as much as usual.

"Emergency cal louts usually happen within four hours, but might take longer at the moment because of the number of calls we are getting."

She asked people to be patient when phoning its customer service teams as they were receiving a lot of calls and arranging emergencies.

If a cesspit is filling up quicker because of the rain, she said it may indicate it was not sealed properly and advises customers to contact a drainage company.

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