WINTER is set to spell misery again for residents living in the Common Hill area of Cricklade.

They claim to have fallen victim to flooding caused by poor drainage on the B4040 road every year for the past decade.

Despite petitioning Wiltshire County Council for help and even staging a protest, they say the floods have already started again this year.

Stanley Norden, 55, has lived in his 200 year-old home for more than 20 years.

He is used to pools of water collecting outside his house but says his patience with the council is wearing thin.

Last night he attended a planning committee meeting at Cricklade Town Hall and demanded action.

He said floods were the cause of structural damage to his home.

"It means we don't really look forward to this time of year because October through to March is always a nightmare for us," said Mr Norden. He is blaming the council for not improving drainage on the road.

"Basically there is no drainage system, just makeshift curbs which make the problem worse," he said.

Residents first approached the council in 1993. As well as flooding, there were also concerns over the speed of traffic and parents asked for a pavement to be installed on the right hand side of the road.

Mr Norden says he fears for the safety of his daughters Rachel, 17, and Zo, 13, who have to walk along the road to catch buses to school and college.

Sharon Evette says the road is not safe.

She has lived in Common Hill with her husband Allan for more than 10 years.

Mrs Evette said: "At this time of year when it is getting dark it is just too dangerous to walk on the road,"

She added that walking her children Laura, three, Ryan, five and Kieran, eight, to school is a daily struggle.

"It is impossible to cross the road outside our house so we have to walk along the muddy verge.

"My children have slipped over several times on the way to school and it's even worse with the pushchair."

Mrs Evette said that gates put in by Wiltshire County Council in 1998 had failed to calm the traffic.

Chairman of last night's meeting Derek Rowland said: "The council is aware of the issues and fully supports the residents of Common Hill."

He added that the footpath was a matter for Wiltshire County Council and agreed that a letter be forwarded to WCC on behalf of the residents."