A FLOODED newsagents was forced to close after a tap was left running in an upstairs flat leaving the shop under inches of water.
Watergate News, Watergate Street, Chester, will remain closed for at least another week after computers, tills, stock and fixings were all destroyed.
A skip full of debris was cleared and dryers and de-humidifiers are being used to dry the normally busy newsagents out.
Proprieter Diane Addison arrived at the shop at about 7am on Thursday, April 23, to find herself knee deep in water.
She said: “I got in and opened up as usual but as I put the lights on and went to the tills I could feel the water. I phoned the fire service and they arrived to turn the electiricty off.
“Somone had left the tap on in an upstairs flat. We had an electrician around for about five hours, they said we were lucky we didn’t have a fire.
“It’s done quite a lot of damage but all we can do at the moment is dry the building out. I am gobsmacked how much damage there is and an extensive amount of work will need to be done to fix it.
“The shop is very warm and dry because of the machines so it isn’t safe to work at the moment, but I can’t do antyhing without the tills anyway.”
