FEARS that a pump at a Hemsby pumping station broken for half a year put the area at further flooding risk have been refuted by Anglian Water.The concerns follow the discovery by Shirley Weymouth, a borough councillor for Hemsby, that one of the three pumps at the station on Yarmouth Road had not been working since December.

FEARS that a pump at a Hemsby pumping station broken for half a year put the area at further flooding risk have been refuted by Anglian Water.

The concerns follow the discovery by Shirley Weymouth, a borough councillor for Hemsby, that one of the three pumps at the station on Yarmouth Road had not been working since December.

Mrs Weymouth said: “When I saw that one of the three was down I was worried. If it's a standby pump and if another one had gone wrong I would not like to think what could have happened.

“Frankly I think the gap between it being broken and repaired is disgusting because it could be leaving Hemsby very vulnerable- the spare parts should be available at the drop of a hat”

An entirely new replacement pump, designed to help prevent the kind of flooding that has historically blighted the area and did so most recently in December, was due to be re-installed on Monday, April 26.

However, following delays it is now expected by Anglian Water to be installed any time now, with yesterday being earmarked for its earliest arrival.

In response, a spokesman for Anglian Water said: “There are three pumps in that station. One runs most of the time, and the second pumps when it's needed, so the third one being out is of no great consequence.

“The stations don't work in isolation. They are maintained and alarmed and if ever we've got problems there are other things we can do- there is no need to be concerned.”

It added that, because of the wide range of requirements for pumps and variety of models that had been installed over the years, some parts might take longer to get than others.

In January, news emerged that cuts in Anglian Water's budget for the next five years imposed by the industry regulator meant that Hemsby would be likely to miss out on boosts to it sewage water flood defence funding.