Members of a marina community say a landowner's fence left them trapped during floods last week. Boaters at Phoenix Marine say they resorted to using an angle grinder to cut through the metal fence, claiming they were unable to get out for food and medical supplies for days.
Around fifty residents say they were stranded during the recent floods - a situation they say could have been avoided if their concerns had been acted on. They say they have been asking Simon Bendall, the landowner of adjoining Keynsham Marina, for an emergency gate to be put in place so they are able to get out when it floods.
Phoenix resident Joanna Taylor said the fence was built on his field along one boundary in recent years and "has cut the boating community in half, but has also cut off our access to a safe route out in the event of a flood". She added: "It used to be that when things got bad down here, we could canoe or wade out along the higher end of the field but the fortified fence has effectively trapped us in."
