A woman fears her shop will flood for the second time in a week following heavy rainfall and says the council is not doing enough to stop it.

Lavinia Asquith, owner of The Curvy Boutique in Hythe, says she called Kent County Council (KCC) today to report the blocked drains in the High Street, which are already filling up with rain water.

She is concerned the water, with nowhere else to go, will flood into her shop and those around it, as it did last Thursday following overnight storms.

But she says the council said it is not an emergency, as her shop hasn't flooded yet.

Mrs Asquith, 52, also says she was told it could be two weeks before someone can visit and maintain the drains.

She said: "My shop flooded last week, as did several others in the High Street and in Chapel Street. It came through the front and back doors.

"It is because the drains are blocked. My carpet was saturated, and after spending several days trying to dry it, I had to throw it away.

"The shop smelt like sewage. The floor underneath is still wet. I also had to throw stock away, which had been damaged.

"Today there is more rain and the drains are filled again. We're facing another flood.

"I called KCC but they said it is not an emergency because it hasn't flooded yet.

"I think it is disgusting. Surely prevention is better?

"I feel we have the potential to be flooded again, but they won't do anything about it."

Mrs Asquith opened her shop in November 2019 and it had been closed for seven months since then because of the pandemic.

She added: "I thought if I could get through Covid I could get through anything. But I wasn't expecting to be flooded.

"Most of us on the High Street are independent traders. This is very upsetting and stressful.

"It is very frustrating that it can't be treated as an emergency until after we have flooded.

"I will be putting a claim into KCC for damage – it is because of the drains that I have lost business."

Last Thursday, more businesses and some homes were flooded after the heavy downpours. One pub had to delay its opening and other people had to take time off work to clean their floors.

KCC has been approached for a comment.

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