The drainage tankers on the A22 in Whyteleafe.

Engineers from Surrey County Council and Thames Water are in the middle of a clean-up operation in Whyteleafe with a view to re-opening the A22 as soon as possible. The road is currently occupied by a number of drainage tankers that are draining water from the gardens of the houses that back on to the railway line. Water is being slowly released from the lagoons in Woldingham, then pumped away as it flows into Whyteleafe. Meanwhile, engineers from Thames Water have embarked on the sewage clearing process.

Drainage Engineer for Conways, Tony Trembath, said: “In our opinion the Environment Agency has not been looking after the ditches which has contributed to the flooding problem. The trees need to be cut back to keep the waterways clear.”

One of the temporary lagoons in Woldingham.

Tony and his colleagues have been working long hours, all over the country, during the flooding crisis. He added: “Everyone thanks the emergency services and other agencies that have been working hard to deal with the flooding problems, but no-one thinks to thank the dear old ladies that bring us out a cup of tea! I would like to say a big thank you to them on behalf of us all!”