Stoke families who battled through ‘the worst flooding they have ever seen’ call for council to unblock drains
Residents in Munro Street rallied to try and unblock drains themselves
11:42, 01 Nov 2025
Tom James, of Munro Street, Stoke, said the flooding on Friday, October 31, 2025 was the worst he has seen.
(Image: The Sentinel)
Families are calling for a council to unblock drains in their street as they start cleaning up after a heavy flood. Residents in Munro Street in the West End area of Stoke say Friday’s flood was the worst they have ever seen.
Now they are calling for Stoke-on-Trent City Council to unblock the drains to prevent flooding happening on that scale again. Kev Freakley, aged 64, told StokeonTrentLive: “I have never seen it like that before. The drains are just blocked.
“I grew up in this street and I remember it back in the 1970s. They used to get the vacuum trucks out all the time.
“I had a bit of flood water in the house yesterday. We need the council to come out and clean the drains properly.
“I have never seen it like that. You can see the mud, debris and leaves on London Road. The frustration is we seem to be paying more and more but getting nothing for it.”
Tom James, aged 39, said: “Friday’s flooding was the worst I have ever seen. I drove my red van through the water to go to Sainsbury’s. It was up to the grill. It was the worst I have seen.
Tom James, of Munro Street, Stoke, said the flooding on Friday, October 31, 2025 was the worst he has seen.
(Image: The Sentinel)
“I went to the dog groomers in Stone and when I came back and went to Sainsbury’s I drove through. I did not think it would be that bad because it never has been. I was lucky my van did not blow up.”
Tom’s father-in-law, Kevin Fradley, aged 55, said: “I got back from work at 3.30pm and there was a problem in the street. A man from the Chinese takeaway was trying to unblock grids and then there were two or three other people who live further along the road trying to unblock the grids. I got a pair of wellies and we borrowed (lent) them some grid unblockers.
“I tried to stop the traffic. When the traffic came through the water was coming up and hitting the houses and shops. It was the cars coming through that was causing the problem. It was making the water rise. Most people in their cars were very polite but the odd one was not.
Families in the West End area of Stoke want Stoke-on-Trent City Council to clean the drains to prevent further flooding.
(Image: The Sentinel)
“I am not the hero. There were five people with their hands in the grids, kneeling down in the water but I do not know their names. But it just goes to show there is still a community spirit out there. The guy who runs the Chinese, he was out there for hours.
“There were two or three out there I have never seen before. One said he did not even live around here. They were the heroes. Without them it would be a lot worse.
“I rang the fire brigade at 3.30pm and I was told they do not come out to that.
“The grid outside my home has been blocked for more than 10 years. The water has no chance. It did not come into our house. We were lucky. The water has got nowhere to go. It just forms at the bottom of the road.
Families in Munro Street, Stoke, say a grid has been blocked for more than 10 years.
(Image: The Sentinel)
“I have lived here for 36 years and yesterday was possibly the worst I have seen.
“I did ring the council. They told me I was in a queue. After 30 minutes I decided not to hold any more. They were inundated.
“The drains need sorting.
“The people in the cars do not understand. They are trying to get somewhere. They do not understand they are causing a bigger problem.”
Justine Johnson, aged 55, added: “We are always having floods around here. The council needs to come and get the drains sorted.”
Stoke-on-Trent City Council issued statements addressing the situation on social media last night.
In a post shared at 10pm, a spokesperson said: “Our teams have been working tirelessly across the city and attended 52 jobs so far. They are continuing to respond to issues caused by the floods.
“The sheer volume of rainfall in such a short space of time overwhelmed the drainage systems, and the impact has been seen across the county. If you do need to travel, please be careful and check for any restrictions.”
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