Shopkeepers in Kilgetty have criticised Pembrokeshire County Council for failing to rectify a drainage problem that continues to cause problems along the village's main road.
After a heavy downpour of rain on Sunday morning, parts of Carmarthen Road, particularly underneath the railway bridge, were heavily flooded.
Two shop proprietors, Dai Thomas, of D. and A. Thomas Bridge Stores, and Tony Llewellyn, of Llyniams Newsagency, both now feel it's time action was taken to alleviate the problem. "The county council had the chance to do something about this problem when they were resurfacing the road a few months ago," commented Mr. Llewellyn.
"What also adds to the risk of flooding is the fact that the drains are not cleaned over the summer," he continued.
"I had a lucky escape really as the ramp leading into my shop helped prevent the water from actually coming in, but the flooding came off the road right up to the door," he added.
However, his neighbour Mr. Thomas, was not so fortunate, with water getting into his shop. "I realise that these were exceptional circumstances involving torrential rain, but the problem needs to be addressed as this has been a blackspot in Kilgetty for sometime," explained Mr. Thomas, who thinks that pupils who walk to Stepaside School and pedestrians in general also suffer when walking along that stretch and are sprayed as vehicles drive through the pools of water.
"It's a problem that could be sorted out easily with a number of possible solutions to help the drainage system, which is not good enough to cope with the amount of water that runs down from Ryelands Lane. A metal grid across the whole road for example could be installed," he pointed out.
"What also concerns me is the news that the county council are to take away one of the wagons that clears the drains and water away, leaving only one for the whole of Pembrokeshire which would be a joke over the winter," added Mr. Thomas.
A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said the authority had undertaken drainage cleaning operations in Kilgetty on Sunday and Monday and that they were also looking into the camber and vertical alignment of the road.
Elsewhere, the council also dealt with callouts to incidents of flooding at St. Brides Hill in Saundersfoot, Bushes Lane in Narberth and St. Florence.