Petworth man's sewage nightmare: 20 dead chickens, £50K in damage, sanitary products across the garden

Karl Thacker, owner of KRT Computers, has suffered the loss of £50,000 in damages and a 20-strong brood of chickens that drowned in sewage when a pipe burst in 2013.

Nine years and 17 floods later and the devastation continues as Mr Thacker, of Selham Road, calls on Southern Water and the Environment Agency to do more to protect homes like his.

The most recent deluge came over the first weekend of November with sewage bursting through a manhole in Mr Thacker’s garden and into the River Lod.

He said: “Southern Water plays Russian roulette blaming adverse weather conditions but this weekend's flood was caused by a foreign object stopping the duty pump. Poor maintenance meant the second pump did not kick in.

“This caused sewage to come through the manhole and break through soil at another point discharging into the River Lod.

"I can’t do anything - when I got flooded in 2013 I tried to sue for damages but the courts wouldn’t hear it.

"I was told I would need a judicial review but no normal person can afford that.”

Mr Thacker has also expressed serious concerns for the welfare of his animals with new puppies digging up sanitary products in his garden, a koi pond at risk of becoming contaminated with sewage and he has abandoned any efforts to keep chickens on his property.

"I’ve just given up now because I can’t protect them,” he said.

“I still want Southern Water to clean up their mess, compensate me and move their sewers off my property.”

Mr Thacker has also criticised the Environment Agency for delays in visiting his property to take samples of the sewage.

He said: “I had been asked by the Environment Agency to call their desk to report incidents and to get an officer out to witness when it floods and to take samples to prosecute.

"I rang hourly and the duty officer failed to attend or return calls so a rare opportunity was wasted.”

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Flooding and pollution can have a devastating effect on people and the environment. It is for Southern Water to resolve the issues with the wastewater sewer pipe running under Mr Thacker’s garden and at the pumping station nearby. Southern Water should find a solution to prevent further sewage discharges across Mr Thacker’s land and prevent it getting into the River Lod.”