AN angry flood victim has hit out after flood defences failed to protect her home.

Mary Fox and other residents of Queens Square at Bradley Mills were given flood barriers last year after they found themselves underwater twice in the last 10 years.

But as Huddersfield suffered from one of the wettest days in history, the defences failed. Now residents are to ask Kirklees Council to investigate.

The houses lie close to the River Colne off Leeds Road and were given official door guards and air-brick guards by Kirklees Council

The properties were helped after the council received a grant from Defra for homes at risk of flooding.

With water levels rising on Friday, residents deployed their flood protection equipment.

But Mary said at about 6pm, water began to flow into her property and said no officials arrived in time to help.

She said: “The Government gives the council money for flood defences and they’ve used them on our four houses – but they haven’t worked.

“The water has come through the walls and seeped in round the barrier.

“We didn’t ring for help at first because the flood defences were working but then it began seeping through the brick work.

“Before we knew it, it was coming over the step in the kitchen.

“We then rang for help but they said it would be one-and-a-half hours. A man came down but it was too late.

“This is the third time I’ve been flooded, I’ve lost everything.

“We did try and move things, I got some friends and we’ve moved quite a bit upstairs but obviously it’s heavy furniture.

“I am insured but I doubt I’ll get it again.”

Elsewhere, river levels subsided dramatically after the torrential rains of Friday.

There had been concerns of serious flood risk in many areas, with the River Colne overflowing in Marsden and the River Holme at Armitage Bridge within inches of bursting its banks.

But by yesterday most areas at risk had escaped the worst.

The Environment Agency downgraded its flood warnings for West Yorkshire to flood alerts. These remained in place on the Rivers Colne and Holme and Fenay Beck through Huddersfield, and on the River Calder through Brighouse and Mirfield.

Weather expert Paul Stevens said the weekend had seen showers rather than torrential rain and the picture remains the same for today and tomorrow. But another band of low pressure could bring more heavier rain and cooler weather in later in the week.