THUNDERSTORMS with torrential rain caused flooding and turned a Wellington stream into a river of ‘liquid chocolate’ .

Payton Road, in Westford, was under water after the downpour caused run-off from agricultural fields which blocked drains.

Gary Price, of Burchills Close, said a huge amount of soil was washed off fields and into Payton Road toward the Westford Stream.

He said the run-off was deposited into the stream making the water look like ‘thick liquid chocolate’.

Mr Price has been concerned for some time about the effect on local biodiversity of the agricultural run-off and founded the Westford Stream Action Group to campaign on the issue.

Wellington’s MP Rebecca Pow has been supporting the action group and now the Environment Agency has promised to investigate.

Mr Price said: “Our garden backs onto the stream and when we moved here three or four years ago we had a huge diversity of river life and wildlife.

“Over the past three years we have seen a huge decline in that diversity.

“The fish have gone, the otters have gone, because the health of the stream has deteriorated.”

Mr Price said he had seen sand, soap, pesticides, and other chemicals in the stream which had resulted in weeds stifling the growth of natural river flora.

He said the Environment Agency had been in discussion with landowners about run-off and action now needed to be progressed because of the damage being caused to the health of wildlife within the stream.

Sunday’s flooding was being blamed on debris and leaves blocking a drain near Payton Bridge which residents believe Somerset County Council failed to keep clear.

Harry Whiterow, of Westford Grange, escaped Sunday’s flood but said he had seen it happen ever since he had lived there.

Mr Whiterow said: “It is not the worst I have seen myself, the winter of 2013-2014 was by far the worst. However, this is the worst I have seen the flooding since then.

“I believe the flash flooding is caused by rain run-off from the fields which cannot absorb the excess water, with a mixture of litter, debris, and silt which clogs the drains.”

Wellington councillr Marcus Barr said during the summer he had worked in the stream clearing the weeds from the watercourse.

Cllr Barr said: “I could see there were going to be problems so I went and cleared it. I ripped out all the shrubs, and there were a lot of them, a lot.”

He said the flooding happened because of a blocked drain near the bridge.

“If it was kept clear the water would pour through it into the stream and it would not be a problem,” said Cllr Barr.

“I think it is the county council highways department which should keep it clear. It was pretty bad and I feel for residents along there.”

Somerset County Council has been asked to comment.