12th July 2012

BRIDPORT: Second hand shop counts the cost

By Paul Crompton

A BRIDPORT business is counting the cost of the floods as the clean-up operation continues.

Staff at Emma’s Second Hand shop are drying out the building after it suffered water damage in the weekend’s floods.

Maureen Thomson said she was lucky compared to other properties when South Street turned into a “river”.

The water rose so quickly that the businesswoman was shocked to suddenly find around eight inches of water had crept up to her shop door.

She said: “I had customers here on Saturday and it was fine - a good day -then it started raining.

“A lady said to her husband they had better go because the water was rising up the street and the next thing we had water all over the place.

“I was really worried because I sell for other people so it was their property which was in danger of getting ruined.

“It was bad. South Street just looked like a river. The man from the local tip was out on a boat trying to help everyone. He was sailing down South Street trying to help people. But my shop wasn’t as bad as some of the houses, so I’m the lucky one really.”

PICTURE 1: Businesswoman Maureen Thomson at the doorstep to Emma’s Second Hand shop where water flooded into the building

PICTURE 2: Residents abandon their cars to pass under the bridge at Loders

PICTURE 3: A homemade warning sign in Shipton

PICTURE 4: A vehicle trying to drive through flooding on East Road, Bridport