Blocked drains in West Swindon have led to fears over the potential for heavy flooding in the area.

Sharon Safe, who lives in Shaw, spotted the blockages while walking her dog one morning and voiced her concerns after heavy rain fell over the town last week.

She highlighted the drains in Cartwright Drive and Shaw Road as particularly bad. 

The 57-year-old said: “I noticed all the drains had so much mud and debris in from all the trees and bushes, it had all build-up and that was just on a short stretch of the road. 

“We moved into Shaw in 1997 and we used to see road sweepers quite often but now it’s hardly at all. 

“When we have loads of rain there’s nowhere for it to go. It’s just going to flood the roads, which is quite dangerous. 

“I let the parish council know but I didn’t get a response, but on my post on Facebook they said it was the job of Swindon Borough Council. 

“But it’s been like it for a long time now.”

Sharon wants to see the council clear the roads in order to prevent future floods.

She added: “I’d like all the debris to be cleared from the kerbside and all the drains to be cleared so any rainwater can properly drain away. 

“It’s been like this in Shaw Lane and that’s on a bit of a slope. 

“When we’ve had heavy rain they’re actually overflowing and it flows down the slope which then gets to another blocked drain, which means the water doesn’t go anywhere.”

Swindon Borough Council confirmed it has now cleaned the road after being approached by the Adver but adds it relies on residents to report issues.

A spokesman said: “We are responsible for maintaining roads spanning 550 miles across the borough, ensuring they are free of debris so they do not block up the drains along the highway. 

“This is, therefore, a considerable task and we rely on residents and parish councils to tell us if there is a particular problem in their area.

“This stretch of road had not been reported to us, so we’d like to thank the local resident for bringing it to our attention. 

“We can confirm that Cartwright Drive was swept and Shaw Road has been completed.”