ANGRY residents flooded out of their homes say they are being left in the dark by Thames Water a week after disaster struck.

Yesterday the water company held a drop-in session for Normandy Crescent residents left devastated after a water main burst last Tuesday.

But families were left furious after Thames Water was unable to tell them why the Cowley street flooded for a second time in seven years – or when they will be able to go home.

Residents of the 23 homes affected by the flooding gathered at St Francis CofE Primary School, in Horspath Road, to vent their frustration.

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Mandy Blessing, 46, spoke out during the session and said: “No one has come to me from Thames Water to say I’m sorry this has happened.

“I have had to go out and find people from Thames Water to find out what the situation is.

“We all as a community have been affected by this. We have been dehumanised and we have been separated.

Oxford Mail:

‘TELL US WHAT’S GOING ON’: Resident Mandy Blessing yesterday

“There is a duty of care and we have been failed.”

The mother-of-two said she broke an arm after she slipped in her house last Friday while clearing flood water away.

Mrs Blessing told the Oxford Mail: “I do feel abandoned and in the dark. We are paying Thames Water to devalue us.”

About 30 people were at the heated meeting, where three Thames Water employees were there to field questions from individual residents.

Mother-of-three Pauline Ximines also stood up at the session and attacked Thames Water’s refusal to hold a formal group discussion.

The 47-year-old carer said: “We did ask for a meeting so you can explain to us why it happened again.

“We need answers. No one has told us exactly what’s what.”

Barbara Greenwood, 79, demanded answers after she said Thames Water left it six days to contact her and husband Ernest, 87.

She said: “It’s utter chaos this time. They have left the meeting rather late. They should have seen to it as soon as it happened.

“We are really feeling the pressure this time to be honest. We are still a bit tearful.”

Addressing residents’ concerns, Thames Water government liaison officer Huw Thomas said: “What we don’t want to do is have a meeting today and say sorry we can’t answer that.

“We can come back when we have proper answers about the pipe.”

Kara Hayes, 32, and husband Brett, 34, are still distraught as their ground floor family flat remains in the same state as when the flood struck.

The family have been left clueless about where they will stay as they were due to leave temporary hotel accommodation next week.

Mother-of-three Mrs Hayes said: “We still don’t know what’s going on. I want to know what they have got to say and what they are planning.

“I want to know why it’s taking so long for us to be at home. They are not contacting us at all. They are not being that great.”

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “It can’t be said strongly enough that Thames Water have to give answers to the questions everyone is asking.

“They owe it especially to the residents, going through all the agony of having their lives turned upside down for the second time in seven years.

“People need to have confidence that this isn’t going to happen again.”

Thames Water spokeswoman Becky Trotman said the pipe had been repaired and disinfected but the company was waiting for water samples to be analysed.

She added: “Work is ongoing to find longer term accommodation for residents. In some cases this has already been sorted out, and in others the customers have opted to use their own insurers.

“It’s still very early to put a monetary cost on what has happened but we expect it to run into, and possibly beyond, hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

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