By Julian Whittleand Safira Ali

Last updated at 10:04, Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Households and businesses in Cockermouth have started the filthy job of cleaning up after the floods.

• Video: Aerial footage of the devastation in Lorton

Michael Stanley

But Main Street and much of the town centre remain sealed off by the police.

Chief superintendent Steve Johnson said: “We’re not letting people in because it would hamper our operations. All residential premises have to be systematically checked.

“We need to see if there is still anybody inside.

“Where people chose to stay, we’re seeing if they have everything they need.

“It takes time. Some of the buildings are old and we need to ensure that they are structurally safe.”

United Utilities was carrying out checks in Main Street yesterday.

There is also a risk of looting as the flood waters ripped off shop frontages.

In the Market Place nearby, people were being allowed to return to their homes and businesses to start cleaning up sewage and silt.

Julie Youdale, owner of Rootz Beauty found the salon was wrecked.

She said: “The water was about 4ft deep. There is some stock on high shelves that escaped but that’s about all.

“When water started coming in we took what we could and put it on units in the beauty room thinking that would be high enough – it wasn’t.”

The salon employs five people. Mrs Youdale hopes that it can re-open in an upstairs flat by the end of next week but that depends on her being able to find new chairs and equipment.

Around the corner in Banks Court, Dave Alty was cleaning up at Cockermouth Pilates Studio, a business run by his wife Ruth Noonan.

He said: “We’re not insured. We have 15 exercise bikes worth £3,000 so we’re hoping they can be salvaged. The water came through with such force it ripped an internal door in half.

“My tools and ladders and paints were washed away.”

The business is unlikely to reopen until the New Year.

Duncan Munro, 61, also of Banks Court, said the water came in so fast he had not been able to save anything.

He said: “I was frying a sausage, moved my foot and heard the water splashing.

“Within a few minutes the water was 3ft high. I didn’t have any time to rescue anything. My music collection I have collected over 50 years is gone. The LPs are irreplaceable.

“I have a wheezy chest with the smell being so bad.

“Spores are already growing up the walls. I have no power.

“I have been going to Cockermouth School for food and coffee. I have no insurance and I am unemployed, so I have nothing left. It is very upsetting and dispiriting.

“I haven’t a clue how I will get through this. I can’t think about that yet.”

Jenni Rushton, of Smailes Court, said: “Our home is a complete washout. It had 7ft of water in it. It still has to be checked to see if it’s safe.

“There were tree trunks and a car floating through the water when Main Street flooded. It was terrifying.

“We are under no illusions. It will be a year before we can go back there.”

Jan Mansergh has a first-floor flat in Market Place.

Yesterday she was disinfecting the inside.

She said they had to rip out carpets and were doing what they could to make it clean.

She said: “I want to get the muck out of my house.

“The insurance people can’t come out until Wednesday but I can’t live like this.

“The water came in so quickly, it was terrifying. I was surrounded by it.

“I have no heating or electric. It smells so bad but it is my home. I need to get it cleaned up.”

• Ten shops flooded out in Cockermouth are setting up inside Mitchell’s Auctions.

Director Mark Wise said they needed somewhere to trade from and they would fit the mart out with extra phone lines and desks today.

“We have the toy shop, the chemist, newsagents, Cockermouth Travel, the New Book Shop, Milburns Solicitors, and the crafts shop setting up in the building,” he said.

Paul Cusack, from Cockermouth Travel, said: “We are hoping to be open by the middle of the week. We are still operating as normal.”

• Meanwhile other businesses were counting the cost of the damage. Michael Stanley, owner of Portofino restaurant, Main Street, said his building was destroyed.

He said the restaurant had been fully booked for Friday and Saturday night. Yesterday he had £2,000 of frozen stock stored in freezers and fridges in his flat above his shop.

But because of a lack of electricity he feared it would all be lost if power was not restored soon.

He said: “All my tables and chairs floated out of the windows in the floods. I have not got a clue how much damage there has been. I will have to replace everything. It has all be damaged by sewage. I will have to sanitise it, rip the plaster off the walls and start again. I had only just refurbished the place. I have had so much support from customers, friends and family.”

First published at 11:23, Monday, 23 November 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk