'Nightmare scenario' for flood warden forced to leave home

Flood warden Gillie Bolton has been forced by rising water levels to leave her home on Ham Island.

It has come at a terrible time for Gillie, who is also having to cope with the illness of her husband Jim Wanamaker who had a replacement hip operation last week and is battling prostate cancer.

She described the current situation as a 'nightmare scenario'.

But the courageous campaigner, who has battled to get better flood protection for the island in Old Windsor, has not gone far. She is staying with friends on the island.

She said: "I wanted to keep an eye on my home. It has flooded in the lobby and the bedroom.

"About a dozen people have evacuated the island out of the 50 or so houses. About six have flooded and the rest have problems with the drainage, electricity and central heating.

"There are two tankers now from Thames Water permanently pumping sewage away."

On Wednesday Gillie had a chance to give her views to Government Water Minister Dan Rogerson, who was visiting the area with the Environment Agency's operations head David Jordan.