Work to try and stop repeated flooding in Deal will start next month.

Frustrated residents living in Albert Road have been subjected to many floods over the years due to an inadequate sewage system.

Heavy rainfall sees homes swamped with dirty water and the street disappearing under a river - with 10 floods reported in the last 30 years, including two in the last two years.

Those living there have say insurance premiums have risen and others say they couldn't go on holiday without warning neighbours where the flood gates are in case of another foul water flood.

Residents have long campaigned for action and last year the Deal Flood Water Action Taskforce was established.

On Monday, Southern Water (SW) met with Albert Road residents to tell them about a project which is expected to reduce flooding and pollution incidents in the town.

The meeting was organised by the taskforce, which includes MP Natalie Elphicke, and representatives from Kent County Council (KCC), Dover District Council, and SW.

A number of measures will now be put into action to tackle the issues, SW say.

These include replacing and increasing the size of roadside gullies in Albert Road.

This work is due to be carried out by KCC next month.

The team will also increase the diameter of the Albert Road surface water sewer to improve capacity and reduce risk of flooding.

Improvements will also be made to the Golf Road wastewater pumping station, improving efficiency and operational capacity.

Dr Raju Sakaria, a resident, said after the meeting: "I can't speak for all residents, but it's early stages and we will have to see how effective these measures will be in reducing flooding frequency."

Nick Mills, head of Southern Water’s Storm Overflow Taskforce said: “We know residents in the Albert Road area of Deal have suffered from repeated flooding incidents and we’re very pleased to be working with the local community and partners to implement sustainable interventions that will help tackle these challenges.

“Our work is a clear example of what can be achieved by taking a cross-sector, community focused approach to tackling complex challenges around flooding and pollution and I’m confident that residents will soon begin to experience the benefits of this.

“This is only the start of the journey towards a sustainable drainage system in Deal.

"We’ll continue to work with our partners to identify and deliver opportunities for improvement and the sustainable growth of the town and the wider region."

Improvements in Deal form part of a wider £2 billion investment into SW’s pipes and sewage infrastructure to help reduce pollution by 80 per cent by 2025, the firm said.

Ms Elphicke added: “The long suffering residents of Albert Road have had to put up with repeated flooding for too long.

"This investment is a significant step forward in our campaign to stop flooding in Albert Road.

“County Councillor Trevor Bond and I have consistently supported Albert Road residents in the campaign to stop flooding.

"It’s great news that Cllr Bond has played a strong role in securing action from Kent County Council, with the highways gully work starting next month.

“Once the investment has been made we will be able to assess how well it works.

"I very much hope that the residents will see a dramatic improvement and that we won’t see these sort of flooding episodes in future."