71855-13A MAN whose conservatory flooded in the recent storms says he is living in fear of more rain.

Glen Inchley, 41, who shares a home with his parents in Cottington Close, Freshbrook, lost hundreds of pounds worth of furniture and electrical equipment in early August when torrential rain hit Swindon.

And Mr Inchley is getting increasingly nervous as the Met Office has issued early warnings of severe weather for the coming week.

Although he believes council workmen have investigatedthe problem, he is concerned that he could return home any day to find further damage. He said: "I lost my TV, my DVD player, my stereo, a coffee table and a wall unit. It was all written off and I was left with was a damp conservatory. I've had to put dryers in there there was a lot of damage."

Mr Inchley's problems started on Tuesday, August 3, when the first of the week's two storms caused havoc across the town.

As the Tesco worker's garden started to flood, water began to creep into his conservatory, which was fitted out as a lounge. Despite his best efforts to mop up and prevent the damage, as the rain continued to pour down he realised his hard work was in vain.

Since then, every time it has rained heavily, Mr Inchley's conservatory begins to fill with water.

He believes the problem is linked to drainage trouble in a nearby car park, which is owned by the council.

He claims that the drains do not filter the water effectively, causing it to pour into nearby gardens which back onto the car park.

"I have informed the council and so have my neighbours," he said.

"At first, we thought it was a water board problem, but were then told it was the council who was responsible.

"Some workmen came out to look at the problem and they think they've fixed it but I don't think they have.

"I dread to think what could happen if we have more storms."

More than 40mm of rain is expected in some parts of the country this week.

Winds will also be strong in places with gusts of 50 mph likely across south west England.

When storms hit Swindon earlier this month, the town was thrown into chaos, forcing offices to be evacuated and leaving many homes without power.

Lightning struck the south more than 1,500 times in half an hour in one afternoon.

Emma-Kate Lidbury