A WWII veteran is demanding an apology and £200 from the council after it took 12 hours to send help while his kitchen flooded with “dirty, stinking water”.

Eric Edis of Oak Hill Court, Woodford Green, noticed the brown water spurting out of his sink at 8am on October 24 and immediately called Waltham Forest Council on its emergency number.

But the 93-year-old, who is the owner of a leasehold flat, said a plumber didn’t arrive until 8pm, by which time the damage had been done.

The kitchen’s flooring and skirting boards had to be replaced and he was forced to vacate the property for two days while repair works were carried out.

Although Mr Edis received compensation from his insurance company for the damaged appliances, he wants to council to cover the cost of replacing his uninsured losses.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

“It smelled putrid and was horrendous,” remembers the pensioner who was a tower gunner during the Second World War.

“The kind of smell that makes you want to vomit – it was dirty, stinking, muddy water.

“I phoned the council straight away and I said my kitchen is in danger of flooding. But no one came.

“I phoned them multiple times throughout the day – it must have been five times - and I gave them a running commentary. All they said was that they had logged the call.

“I was bailing it out as much as I could and throwing it in the garden. It went on for 12 hours and it was up to my ankles. Eventually a plumber arrived at 8pm, when the damage to my kitchen was complete.”

The flood was caused by a leaking stack pipe which runs through the wall separating the kitchen and the bathroom.

Mr Edis, who was born and raised in Walthamstow’s Coppermill Lane, has lived at the property for 61 years and pays services charges to the council.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

He used a Candlewick bedspread, bath towels, a rug and dusters to stem the flow at the kitchen doorway, preventing the water from spreading to his hallway.

He also claims the slippers he was wearing on the day were ruined by the dirty water and have had to be replaced.

He added: “It should have been treated as a priority not just because of my age but because I pay nearly £1,000 a year to the council in service charges and it’s their responsibility to help.

“I was disappointed and upset about their response. I’m very angry because it they had dealt with it straight away or reasonably soon there would be no need to claim.

“It caused me a lot of trouble and distress and at my age I want a quiet life but with this council I have not been able to have that.

“I find it disgraceful and spiteful that the council could have prevented my kitchen from flooding when an emergency call was made to them and they didn’t.”

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Cllr Louise Mitchell, cabinet member for housing, said: “We received a report of foul smelling water at 11.56am on Tuesday October 24 and contractors arrived on-site at 5.30pm to fix the problem. Repair work was completed by 7.30pm.

“We consider this response entirely reasonable. We aim to undertake repairs within 24 hours of being notified there is an issue. In this case the work was completed within eight hours of notification.”

However, Mr Edis insists he was not visited by a plumber until 8pm on the day in question and added: “I would like an apology for all the trouble they’ve caused me – it’s a decent thing to do.”