ONE PAPER ... ALL THE NEWS from Dewsbury, Batley, Ossett, Mirfield, Liversedge, Birstall, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton & Spen Valley
Friday February 14, 2020
No. 932
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MP gives trolls cold shoulder
‘My guide dog Charlotte was part of me’
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HEARTBREAKER Storm Ciara brings devastation to district’s homes and businesses By Connor Teale
on Sunday, resulting in flash flooding in large areas. Homes and businesses were hit across the district, with surging water affecting parts of Dewsbury town centre, Heckmondwike, Ravensthorpe, Liversedge and Cleckheaton, flooding dozens of houses. High winds also caused damage to scores of proper-
ties. But Mirfield again bore the brunt of the storm, expeRESIDENTS and businesses riencing water levels that have been left counting the surpassed the Boxing Day cost of Storm Ciara this week floods of 2015. with one business owner Flood-prone Steanard Lane describing the damage and Granny Lane suffered a caused by flood waters as familiar fate, and two roads “soul destroying”. leading into the town were The storm dumped record impassable as the River amounts of rain on North Calder burst its banks. Kirklees in a 12-hour period The Ship Inn on Steanard Lane, one of the most regularlyflooded spots in the district, was forced to close following damage to its exterior area and around 130 properties in Mirfield were left without gas for two days after water made its way into the gas mains. Steve Heaton, managing director at Design Contract Flooring on the Holme Bank Mills industrial estate, lost around £10,000 A canal barge fell victim, while Mirfield’s Station Road needed careful navigation worth of stock as a
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Steve Heaton’s business at Holme Bank Mills lost around £10,000 of stock to the floods result of the floods. The business park is situated on the banks of the River Calder. “The lads have all pulled together,” he said. “It’s happened to us before so I was aware of what we needed to do and how to approach things but it’s still a kick in
the teeth. It does take the wind out of your sails.” Graham Ervine, who owns Mirfield Mill Carpets – situated next to Mr Heaton’s business – also lost hundreds of pounds’ worth of stock. “It leaves so much devastation and mess behind. The clean-up effort is hard work,
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tiring, and it does get a bit draining,” he said. “Anything that the water touches becomes contaminated and has to be thrown out. It’s soul destroying.” This is the second time in less than five years that Mr
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