Flooding costs couple over £350 over five years.

A couple forced out of their home for two years due to flooding could now be made bankrupt after being refused insurance.

Cheryl Moore, 42, and her husband Stephen, 52, moved to Ingham in 2000.

But in 2004 the property flooded, forcing them to vacate and seek refuge in rented accommodation for more than nine months.

Shortly after returning to their home, the couple were again victims of severe flooding, forcing them to leave for a second time – to a caravan for 16 months.

The Moores’ home has flooded a total of six times in five years and they have now spoken out after Zurich refused to approve their insurance renewal.

Mrs Moore, a beauty therapy lecturer at Lincoln College, explained that despite the severity of their situation, no-one will take any responsibility.

“The flooding occurs due to run-off surface water,” she said.

“The problem is that no-one is willing to accept responsibility for the water as there’s no law to enforce it. Everyone has just absolved themselves.

“There must be thousands of people like me suffering from similar problems and something needs to be changed to help us.

“Since we moved in we’ve spent more than £350,000 on accommodation and repairs. We’re on the brink of financial ruin.”

Mrs Moore said she believes that changes to the surrounding landscape are the root of the problem.

“When we moved in, there was an orchard and a pond in the surrounding area,” she said.

“But the orchard has been torn down and the pond filled in.”

The couple also explained how they had been forced to install and operate a water pump, at their own expense, to help drain water from their land during heavy periods of rain.

When contacted by the Echo, a spokesperson for Zurich insurance said: “We sympathise with the situation Mrs Moore finds herself in as we understand how traumatic it must be to regularly suffer from flooding.

“As the insurer of the property, we have paid a considerable amount in rectifying these claims in recent years.

“We understand that Mrs Moore has installed a drainage ditch herself. However, in order to consider reinstating full insurance cover we would need to see a review by a suitable professional body to advise us if these measures are sufficient.”

Mrs Moore has since taken her case to the National Flood Forum, which provides support and advice to communities and individuals who have been flooded, or who are at risk of flooding.