ANGRY homeowners have criticised Thames Water after heavy rain overloaded drains and flooded their Didcot road for the third time in a year.

The residents of Derwent Avenue, on the town's Ladygrove estate, had to wade through water to get in and out of their road on Tuesday.

Engineers from the Thames Water were called out with water pumps and sandbags during the afternoon to stop water from entering homes.

Chris Jennings, 42, who has lived in Derwent Avenue for the past six years, blamed the water company for the flooding, saying it was a constant problem in the road.

Mr Jennings said: "This is the seventh or eighth time this has happened to my knowledge since I have lived here. The drain overflows and then there is a stream that runs through here and the top field fills up with water. It was about 2ft deep, I could drive out, but my wife wasn't able to get back in."

Mr Jennings said water started bubbling out of the drains at about 1pm and he described the scene as being like 'a fountain'.

He said: "There was lots of water coming up through the drain - it was like a fountain - and it was a good couple of feet deep.

"Thames Water did suggest fitting flood barriers over the doors but I'm not going to try to sell my house with them on the front door. "

Almost two inches of rain fell during the deluge on Tuesday, which is almost 75 per cent the average amount rainfall for June.

Jeff Blackman, 39, of Derwent Road, said: "When people saw the water we said 'No, not again.' "It's becoming a more and more regular occurrence down here and we are all getting pretty fed up with it."

Beverly Wallace, 46, said: "This is just getting absolutely ridiculous now. I don't want to have to constantly worry about my home flooding."

Charles Lineker, of Brent Close, writes a local newsletter for the Ladygrove estate and took pictures of the flood-hit road.

He said: "There were kids swimming in it, it was like a sea and about 2ft deep - quite a few residents are really peeved about it. We are paying our rates and all of these utility bills to Thames Water, they should be doing something about it."

Ladygrove councillor Bill Service said: "Thames Water know there is a problem down here with the drains as these homes are affected every time it rains.

"Assurances were made to residents after the last lot of flooding in the area that this wouldn't happen again, and here we find ourselves in the same position again."

Thames Water said extensive service water from the heavy downpour put pressure on the foul sewer system, causing localised storm water flooding.

A spokesman said: "We are aware of previous flooding incidents at this location and an engineering study is ongoing to identify possible solutions."

5:52pm Wednesday 4th June 2008