A mum says she is being driven “insane” by water leaks which flood her front garden every day.

Vikki Storey, who lives with her four sons in a council-owned property in Brookland, on the Romney Marsh, says she has been battling the issue for eight years.

Cracks have now appeared in the walls of her house - and she is terrified a sinkhole could form underneath it.

Ms Storey, 55, says the flooding is caused by multiple leaks in water pipes under her home - and the issue has now been exacerbated by a leaking water main nearby.

Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) says work is underway to tackle the problems, with repairs to the main being carried out “as soon as possible”.

Ms Storey says water from the leaking pipes is pushing its way through to her front garden, meaning it is constantly flooded.

There is also a drainage tank which constantly refills with water which is then sent out through a pipe and onto the pavement.

Ms Storey says the drainage system is far too close to her house and has caused internal damage such as damp, cracks in the walls and the flooring to rot.

“I have always had an inkling that there is something wrong under the house water-wise,” she said.

“It has been constant back and forth [with the council] for the past eight years and you feel like you are hitting your head against a brick wall.

“At one point it felt like it had destroyed me mentally.”

Ms Storey told KentOnline how one winter the water in the front garden froze and she slipped on the black ice.

“I went flying and fell backwards,” she said.

“Luckily I did not break anything but I bruised my elbow, hip and bottom.”

Ms Storey says the flooding has been made “100 times worse” since the mains water pipe burst.

“It feels like the council is avoiding dealing with it and, potentially, we are just waiting to see if we end up in a sinkhole,” she said.

“I am at the point where I do not want to live here - which is a real shame because I love this little cottage and it was a godsend for me and my four boys.

“It has made me physically and mentally ill. I am a strong person but this is driving me insane. My mum cannot even visit because she is in a wheelchair.”

She added she has been drinking bottled water for the past two weeks because after she got back from her holiday the water coming out of her tap was cloudy and filled with rust particles.

Grant Watts, who owns the property next door, where he lives with his wife and son, claims his driveway is “sinking”.

The 40-year-old said: “I did not realise quite how bad it is until I started to hear a whooshing noise of water which Vikki hears in her house all the time.

“I ended up calling my insurance and they found that my main line is fine, but where it runs under to Vicky’s house, it is riddled with leaks. They cannot touch it because it is not on my property.

“They also noticed my driveway is sinking. It is also covered in weeds which you cannot beat because it is just wet all the time.

“I now get water all over my driveway and the floor in my front room is dropping away.

“It makes me think am I going to be sitting in my armchair one day and suddenly drop.”

Ms Storey added: “Knowing there could be all of this water underneath me is frightening.

“We are at our wits’ end and just want it sorted.”

A spokesperson from South East Water said the water leaks have been investigated, and there are no mains leaks on the company’s equipment.

“We assisted this customer with our free leak detection service, which confirmed the leaks were on the customer’s side,” they said.

“When on the customer’s side, repairs are the responsibility of the property owner. As a result, we are liaising with the council to repair the leaks.

“However, we haven’t been made aware of any issues with the quality of water entering the property. If there is an issue with the freshwater supply, we urge the customer to contact us again so our water quality team can investigate further.”

A FHDC spokesperson said: “We are concerned that the resident feels they were unaware of the work that is currently underway.

“There is a leaking water main and the council has asked three contractors to quote for the repair work so we hope that it will start as soon as possible. This will then allow further work on a surface water drainage issue to be completed.

“Any reports made to the council of water damage to the property would be investigated by surveyors.”