Bury storms force businesses to shut after floods wreak havoc

Chaps Barbers, on Water Street, Radcliffe, has closed its doors and the owner says it has no idea when it will next re-open after heavy rainstorms on Sunday caused the road and nearby shops to flood.

Paula Henry, said that blocked drains have been an ongoing issue for the business, and she will now be looking at fixing the damage inside the shop.

Flooding at Chaps Barbers (Image: public)

She said: “The electrical bins that you brush hair into from the floor are having to be looked at as they are all on ground level, as are the rest of our electrics.

“There is black, filthy dirt all over and our seating area, which is made out of wood, is also going to have to be taken out and scrapped.”

Flooding in Radcliffe, Water Street (Image: public)

Paula said she has been in talks with the council on several occasions as even during ‘normal’ rain, customers are getting splashed by cars because the drains are blocked.

She said: “It’s now a case of ripping everything out and replacing it but I don’t know if anybody's gonna pay up or how long the business is going to be shut for.”

Videos circulating on social media showed the extent of the flooding across Radcliffe and the borough which is believed to be caused by blocked drains and the stormy weather.

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Radcliffe resident, Gill Smith, warned others of the flooding saying she had “never seen it like this” after a car broke down in the water and rain filled the streets "within minutes" yesterday.

The hair salon, AURA, also on Water Street, informed customers of the flooding yesterday and hoped the business would dry out overnight.

Other businesses in parts of the borough, including Baby Sensory at The Wow Centre, Prestwich also had to close due to flooding.

Classes at the centre have been cancelled and pumps and cleaning equipment have been called in to help re-open the site.

Radcliffe North and Ainsworth Councillor, Jo Lancaster, said the flooding had impacted many local residents both in her ward and in the rest of Radcliffe.

She said: "It is concerning that the blockage appears to have been caused by illegal disposal of oil.

"I sincerely sympathise with all the business owners and residents who have been directly impacted by this incident and feel that measures need to be in place for the future to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

"Anyone living in Radcliffe North, Bradley Fold or Ainsworth please contact me directly if you have reported any blocked gullies and no action has been taken j.lancaster@bury.gov.Uk"

If you have a story or have been impacted by the recent weather, please get in touch by emailing me at Harriet.Heywood@newsquest.co.uk