The name of the street suggests it should be paradise on earth, but a resident of Utopia Way, in Stalham, says he has been left exasperated by repeated flooding problems which have left sewage seeping into people’s homes.

The flooding on Utopia Way and adjoining Mill Road in the town has been going on for some years, according to Christopher Poole, 63, who has lived in Utopia Way with his wife Margaret, also 63, for the past 20 years.

He says that at least every two years, when there has been a heavy downpour of rain, they and others living nearby have been getting liquid sewage coming up from the drains and into their homes. The latest flooding happened last month.

Mr Poole said they have been refunded their sewage charges for the year when the flooding has occurred as a gesture of goodwill from Anglian water, but said it was becoming impossible to live with.

Mr Poole, who is disabled, said: “We are living in the 21st century, we should not be living with this sort of thing.

“We have reached a point now where enough is enough. We are sick of it.” Antony Innes, a spokesman for Anglian Water, said: “After thoroughly investigating the problems on Utopia Way, we found that refurbishing the pumping station should provide a solution.

“The surface water from several properties has been incorrectly connected to this sewer, resulting in higher levels of sewage in wet conditions; these new pumps are better suited to cope with this problem.

“The flooding in January was caused by a fault which meant that the pumps were not working correctly.

“This fault has been corrected and we are sorry for the disruption and inconvenience caused.”

Mr Poole said he believed rather than new pumps, the solution would be to put in a non-return valve which would only allow fluid to flow through it in one direction.

He added that he was now writing to the ombudsman and North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb to see if anything could be done.