“I was devastated” said Clare Talbot standing looking at the mess in her garden, “I’ve put so much time, energy and love into growing this garden from scratch over the last four years and quite a few plants could well be trashed.
Thames Water did jet wash the patio in the back garden following the spill on 28th April, but the front garden is covered in pea gravel which the company has a policy of not removing or replacing.
After Clare complained to the company, it is now planning to clear away contaminated gravel as a “gesture of goodwill” but it will not reinstate the garden.
Clare says it’s likely to cost up to a £1,000 to sort. They may be able to claim on their home insurance but they have an excess and worry about their premium rising as a result.
“I’m absolutely outraged, incensed, that a big company like that can just damage someone’s private property and walk away. It’s astonishing.”