A couple has said they have 'no hope' left and are facing a Christmas in an Airbnb after their flat flooded with sewage.
Frances Spanner and Tony King are forking out for the second year in a row to stay in alternative accommodation over the festive period after heavy ruin destroyed their flat in Central Parade, Herne Bay, Kent.
The flooding has left their home with severe damp, with parts of the flat even seeing sewage seep in.
The desperate couple estimated that a previous flood in August 2021, when a sewer network became overwhelmed, left them with a bill of more than £10,000.
Frances said: “Rather than getting to watch our family and friends unwrap their presents on Christmas Day, we got to watch them bob up and down in sewage water in the middle of November.
“And now, our Christmas will be spent in an Airbnb trying to find somewhere to live beyond January 2, when Southern Water stop paying for our accommodation.
“And what makes it worse is that a lot of the gifts we give out are handmade, so a lot of hard work and effort went into them just to chuck them away."
Frances and Tony are also heartbroken at the prospect of being isolated from their family over Christmas in their new accommodation.
Frances told KentOnline : “My mother’s just had major surgery up in Glasgow. We can’t go up there because we have three cats that are having to live in the flat while we bounce around from place to place.
“The hotels and Airbnbs don’t allow pets, so we have to go back at least twice a day to check on them.
“It’s so disheartening to go in and see the state it’s in. It doesn’t get any easier. There’s such a long road ahead before it is suitable to live in again.
“It’s so much more than just about losing material objects - it’s the strain it puts on our lives, our relationships, our mental well-being.”
