COMMUNITIES to the west of Tynedale were some of the worst hit in Northumberland by Storm Ciara.

Committee members at Haydon Bridge United Football Club were left exasperated again when sewage from the nearby pumping station failed to drain away and made its way into the clubhouse and astroturf facility. The club suffered major flood damage when Storm Desmond struck in 2015.

While flood defences around the pavilion kept the flood water out when the Langley Burn burst its banks on Sunday, inadequate drainage from the Northumbrian Water owned pumping station meant sewage was kept within the vicinity of the clubhouse, with two to three inches breaching the flood boards and seeping into the building.

Club secretary Avril Kirsopp said: “The pumping station was put there in 1958 but there has been hundreds of houses built since then, and the drains are inadequate to cope, especially when water levels are so high.

“Our little club works hard to keep going and raises funds for local charities, but we have this constant battle over the pumping station.

“Quite frankly, we are sick to death of it and we need Northumbrian Water, the Environment Agency and Northumberland County Council to sort this problem once and for all.”

A spokeswoman for Northumbrian Water said the firm was sorry the club had experienced further flooding at the weekend, and said it was working with the Environment Agency and the county council on a detailed joint study which would look at the local water environment of Haydon Bridge as a whole.

There was tragedy in Carrshield on Tuesday when a Highland bull died of hypothermia after becoming stuck in a bog, formed after relentless heavy rain and snow.

Tony Johnson, who operates Pennines Wildlife Rescue from Blackcleugh Farm, said: “He was around 900 kilos so we ended up having to get him out with a tractor. I had found him half submerged in water and I tried to keep his head above the water.

“The fire brigade were on the way but we just had to get him out as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he died of hypothermia just after we got him out.”

Motorists faced treacherous driving conditions throughout with a number of crashes reported to Northumbria Police, while the driver of a 4x4 vehicle managed to safely get out of the vehicle after it ended up upturned in a stream in Hexhamshire on Sunday.