WATER company bosses have pledged to get to the bottom of sewer problems causing flooding misery in a village – but warned it will not happen overnight.

Severe and prolonged rainfall in September – which caused widespread problems around the region, including the closure of a 40-mile stretch of the A1 sparked flooding problems in Hurworth, near Darlington.

The cause for concern is a collapsed sewer pipe, which struggled to cope with the extra water flowing through it during the deluge.

More than 50 residents – including occupiers of properties of Friars Pardon, which has been affected by flooding intermittently in recent years – attended a public meeting to discuss the issue.

Also in attendance were representatives from the emergency services, Darlington Borough Council and the Environment Agency.

The main speaker was Jeff Graham, chairman of Northumbrian Water’s health and safety committee.

He said: “When we have sewer flooding problems, to make sure we invest in the right areas, we have to do an investigation and sometimes that can take months.

“We may have to do some analysis of the system to make sure the pipes are the correct size.

“We have to design schemes which can solve the problem in the long term.”

Mr Graham said temporary ‘flood mitigation’ work could be carried out to minimise the risk in the short term, while a permanent solution is sought.

He said investigation work had identified a sewer pipe that was receiving a heavier flow of water than it was designed for.

In July, Hurworth couple Sue and Dave Davies, of West End, told of their 12 years of misery at raw waste overflowing from an underground sewer that runs along the back of their property.

The sewage - including human waste - has flooded their garage, yard and garden and cost the couple an estimated £10,000 in repair bills.

Several members of the public shared their own experiences of flooding in the village.

Many praised the emergency services for their response to September’s day of unprecedented rain which brought the issue of flooding into sharper focus.

Bringing the meeting to a close, Ken Pattison, who chaired the meeting, which was called by Hurworth Parish Council, said: “I have not found it terribly comforting, because we do not seem to be a lot further forward than we were a month ago.”