SINCE March countless fires have plagued residents living near a recycling plant in St Paul's Cray, but over the weekend they found themselves contending with another element altogether.

As fire engines tackled yet another blaze at the notorious Waste4Fuel site in Cornwall Drive, an accident led to gallons of water leaking from one of their hoses.

The water raced towards Sevenoaks Way, leaving locals desperately trying to prevent their houses from being flooded.

Maxine O'Connor, 67, of Sevenoaks Way said: "It happened at around one o'clock on Saturday.

"I was told a van had driven onto the kerb and split the fire hose.

"My neighbour says she saw a gush of water fly up in the air.

"Next thing I knew the water was running down my drive towards the house.

"The fire guys were really upset about it. They were trying to chuck the water out into the road.

"They got brooms and they were trying to sweep out a lot of the water. I got my own broom and tried of help.

"We have got drainage at the front of the house and air bricks to protect the house but if we didn't we would have had a foot of water in our house."

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The 67-year-old says the repeated problems at the Waste4Fuel site are making the lives of her and her neighbours a misery.

She added: "The fire guys were doing a job, they couldn't help it, and the guy driving the van probably didn't realise the hose was on the pavement."

"But this is getting to be a joke with all this fire business at that recycling plant.

"It's now becoming a weekly thing with these fires and it feels like nothing is ever going to be done about it.

"We are the innocent parties in all of this and we get the brunt of what happens.

"It has got so bad. That place is not a recycling plant, that place is an absolute dump."

Waste4Fuel appeared at the High Court last month, where an order was imposed, compelling the company and director Bryan Hughes to clear the site of all combustible waste by April.