'Son floods mother's Darwen home after row'

10:37pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

A MAN has been accused of flooding his mum's house and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage by leaving all the bath taps running.

Beverley Horridge, 43, returned from shopping in Blackburn town centre to discover water cascading through the front of her house in Lightbown Street, Darwen.

Her son, Michael Horrocks, 21, of Essex Street, Darwen, has been charged with causing more than £5,000 of criminal damage.

He has also been charged with common assault after allegedly spitting at her in Blackburn town centre.

It is alleged that Mrs Horridge and her son had an argument before the incident.

"When I got home at about 5pm there was water pouring out of the front of my house, mainly from above the downstairs windows.

"I opened the front door and I saw water coming through the light fittings.

"I was shocked and I didn't know what to do so I rang the police.

"I didn't want to touch anything in case I blew myself up or something."

Mrs Horridge said she suffers from asthma and had a hysterectomy in March, which has left her unable to do any lifting. She is currently, with the help of friends, trying to clear out her house.

The carpets have been pulled out of the house along with furniture which has been damaged.

She said: "I have been staying with friends because the house stinks as it is drying out but I don't like leaving the house so I came back on Tuesday night and I have been sleeping on a chair.

"This happened over a week ago and everything is still wet.

"The beds, the mattress, the leather suites, everything has been damaged.

"I was going to take my granddaughter to Blackpool for a holiday but I have had to put it on hold because I have to sort this out.

"Everything has been ruined. When I walked into the house the water was sloshing around my feet.

"The water in my taps runs really fast and it must have been running for a few hours."

Mrs Horridge's father James Rimmer died nearly a year ago after she said she spent years looking after him and she has lost all of her photographs of him in the flood.

She added: "My grandchildren's toys including the playstation have also been damaged in the water."

Dehumidifiers have been put in her house by the Northern Counties housing association, which owns the property.

Horrocks appeared at Blackburn Magistrates Court on May 8 and was remanded on conditional bail until May 28. He has not entered a plea.

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