DEEP floodwater which blocked a main access route to a village near Wellington was finally cleared this week, a fortnight after Storm Chandra hit the area.

The road past the Lidl supermarket in Wellington to Nynehead was cut off by a flood beneath the mainline railway bridge for the past two weeks.

Villagers were left without their main access to reach the town, and without any sign of a solution until this week when the water suddenly disappeared.

Other roads serving Nynehead were also hit by widespread flooding since the end of January, meaning villagers had to search daily for acceptable alternative routes.

However, the diversions doubled the time for residents to travel between the village and Wellington, as well as to reach main roads and the M5 motorway.

Nynehead Parish Council chairman Cllr Jeremy Toye said puddles beneath the railway were not uncommon, but a deep and persistent flood was unusual.

Cllr Toye said: “The water does not appear to come directly from the River Tone as in other local flood spots, but looks to result from a combination of intense rainfall and blocked drains.

“Highways engineers and local farmers worked on the deepening flood at the end of the week but despite jetted gullies, the floodwater stayed in place.

“Local farmers say it has proved challenging to find an outlet for the water, even after pumping out a temporary pond in a field nearby.

“Draining the road water itself appears to present logistic difficulties.

“While efforts to clear the flood are appreciated, the prolonged duration of the flood means that residents are inconvenienced on a daily basis.

“Getting to work, schools, or shops for those leaving the village are matched by challenges facing medical and emergency services trying to reach needy people, particularly as many are of an advanced age.”