RESIDENTS watched in horror as water flooded towards their homes - from a Bolton reservoir that has been empty for years.

The water poured down in two streams from a high banking at the site of Sweetloves Reservoir, off Belmont Road, where two developers are building new homes.

After Monday night's heavy rain, torrents of water flowed down from the high level site into the rear gardens of properties in Nevis Grove on the Oldhams Estate.

Residents said the flooding of homes was only avoided because the ground floor flats are protected by high steps and the street drains managed to cope.

Nigel Sinclair, 27, said: "The drains coped this time but there's no guarantee that they will in the future.

"There was so much water around it was impossible to get down the path. God knows what all this water is doing to the foundations."

Another resident, Irene Kelly, 74, was so concerned about the floods she rang the police.

Miss Kelly has lived in her maisonette flat for 40 years and was a strong supporter of a residents' campaign to fight the development.

But despite petitions, meetings, a public inquiry and protests the development was given the go-ahead in September 1994 when Environment Secretary John Gummer over-ruled Bolton council and allowed an appeal by North West Water to develop the land.

Last summer Bolton council approved a joint application by developers Barratt and Jones Homes, to build 217 houses on the site.

"It's a case of we told you so," said Miss Kelly. "There's been a reservoir on that site for 150 years and it's difficult to get rid of all that water. And this proves my point.

"If the rain continues we'll be under five feet of water."

According to residents the former reservoir bank at the rear of their homes has recently been lowered further.

David Calderbank, 58, who has lived in Nevis Grove for 10 years, said: "It was absolutely flooded around here this morning."

Another neighbour, Kevin Clearly, who lives in a ground floor flat, claims the floods of water were so strong that he was unable to get out of his back door.

A spokesman for Barratt said today: "The flooding was an isolated incident due to a period of heavy rain following a prolonged dry spell. A cut-off trench is being constructed to take any run off water from the site."

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