by Martin Jefferies

Some quick thinking, bucketloads of community spirit and hundreds of litres of bottled water saved the day when a broken pipe flooded three floors of a retirement home in Westgate-on-Sea.

The drama forced the evacuation of all 37 flats at Read Court, The Grove, just off the A28 Canterbury Road.

Distressed residents, some of them frail and with disabilities, gathered in the communal lounge, where they were told the water supply would have to be switched off for at least 24 hours.

Although two pensioners chose to stay with nearby friends and family and two couples checked in at the Express by Holiday Inn hotel at Minster, most decided to stay put.

Paul Reynolds (pictured left), 26, the youngest area manager with property owners Peverel Retirement, said the residents showed "brilliant community spirit" as he rallied to find enough bottled water to last 35 elderly residents.

He said: "That explains the bizarre sight of me at the checkout of the nearest Tesco with 100 two litre bottles of water. Luckily I've got a big car!"

Paul, who lives in Lympne, near Hythe, purchased another 100 bottles the following day, having cancelled all his appointments to oversee the clean-up operation. He had also driven the two couples to their hotel in Minster.

Repairs to the plumbing had been carried out by 9am that morning, by which time cleaners had already begun mopping up. The water was turned back on the following day and within 48 hours, the ceiling had been replaced and the emergency lights were working again.

Sylvia Connock, 79, and her partner Maurice, 87, were among those who chose not to move out.

She said: "I really cannot think of anything else that could have been done. Paul was very good, especially considering he'd already done a day's work and had to face a room full of worried people who thought they'd have to move out. Honestly, for a couple of days, it was fine."

Jill Oxenham, who manages Read Court and previously worked at another Peverel property in Ramsgate, helped distribute the water and made sure everyone could open the bottles.

She said: "In the end, I think the residents all realised it was one of those things and that we'd done all we could.

"The wellbeing of residents in the properties we manage is our top priority and we aim to create a sense of community. The response of the residents at Read Court reflects that."