A HULL businessman whose electrical shop has suffered repeated flood damage is threatening to sue the council.
Dave Baron, owner of Hanson Electrical in Willerby Road, west Hull, says Hull City Council are not doing enough to protect business owners from flooding.
Mr Baron's shop has been badly affected by storms, which caused damage to properties in Hull over recent weeks.
He said: "Drains were overflowing during the heavy rain last Tuesday and about one-sixth of the shop was under water.
"The problem is the drains at the front and back of the shop, which the council aren't doing anything about."
"The council is blaming Yorkshire Water for the problem, Yorkshire Water is blaming the council and we are stuck in the middle."
Mr Baron has become so frustrated at the lack of support he has received from council officers, he has consulted his solicitor about bringing action against them.
He said: "The Government has given councils money to spend on flood defences, but there's no sign of it here."
Hanson Electrical was one of the many Hull businesses to suffer substantial damage in 2007, when devastating floods hit East Yorkshire, and Mr Baron is concerned the same thing could happen again.
He said: "Those floods caused half a million pounds worth of damage and it took ten months to recover."
The company employs 19 people. Mr Baron is concerned that an insurance company would not cover them if the shop floods again.
He said: "We are the only independent electrical retailer operating in Hull and I'm worried we wouldn't survive another flood.
"To have that happen again would be a catastrophe."
A spokesman for Hull City Council said it has been working closely with Hanson Electrical to try to solve the problem.
He said: "We visited the property on Tuesday to Thursday last week and an engineer also visited in his own time on Sunday to check the water level of the gullies.
"We have found the problem is in the main sewer and that is managed by Yorkshire Water.
"This area of the city is a priority for us and we take all the necessary precautions to make sure the areas we manage are properly maintained."
A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: "We would urge the customer to report the issue directly to Yorkshire Water so we can investigate it fully.
"This will allow us to conduct a full and thorough investigation of the matter."
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