A WOMAN was horrified to find her flat knee-deep in sewage after the toilet overflowed.

Angie Sweeten had been away for a couple of days and returned to find her furniture, carpets and decor ruined by the foul water.

The 66-year-old said the stench made her feel sick.

The flat in Nestor Court, Preston Road, Brighton, still has water markes 2ft high on the walls.

Ms Sweeten said: “I was shocked when I found out how much the water has damaged my flat.

“The toilet was having problems last Tuesday and I avoided flushing paper down it. I contacted a plumber who said he would come on Friday.

“So I went to London amd the toilet seemed to be all right. But when I came back on Friday it had soaked into the carpet, walls and furniture. The water marks on the wall are still visible and are about two feet high.

“The smell is intolerable. There were still small puddles of dark and murky water.

“The plumber came on Friday but he was unable to confirm what was the problem.”

Ms Sweeten said housing association Places For People, which manages the flats, had contacted a cleaning company to clear up but she was concerned about how long it was taking..

She said: “I was offered temporary accommodation but I declined it because I didn’t want to go to a Travelodge.

“The flat smells of poo and urine. I am very worried about the bacteria in the carpet. My niece was with me the other day and she threw up because of the stench.

“It’s just taken the housing association so long to deal with my problem. I can’t stay in the flat because I have lung problems. My furniture and carpet are ruined and it will cost about £3,500 to replace everything.”

A spokeswoman for Places For People said: “We appreciate this has been upsetting for Miss Sweeten and are working to resolve this.

“As soon as this was reported to us last Friday we sent a plumber to the property and while there, we contacted our contracted cleaning company to make an appointment to clear the water, clean up and assess any damage.

“The toilet was overflowing internally due to a blocked drain which Dyno-Rod had been called out to.

“Unfortunately, while Miss Sweeten was away, the stack got blocked again and the internal overflow continue to run, leaving the water in the toilet with nowhere to drain.

“Miss Sweeten had originally turned down an earlier offer of temporary accommodation, but she has now changed her mind

and we have organised that for her.”