A RESIDENT who has only just returned to his home two years after the Boxing Day Floods says he fears it will happen again.

More than 1,000 homes and 170 businesses were affected by flooding as the rivers Aire, Calder, Worth and Wharfe and Silsden Beck, all burst their banks causing an estimated £34 million worth of damage.

The worst-affected areas of the district included Shipley, Saltaire, Bingley and Keighley, as Storm Eva made its presence felt.

While most residents and businesses were back on their feet within months of the 2015 floods, one couple only returned to their home two months ago.

Martin and Magda Teale moved back into their bungalow in Branksome Drive, Shipley, after it was wrecked by the floods for a second time, after it was previously flooded in 2000.

The renovation work has seen the couple have their home rewired, a new boiler and heating system fitted and the downstairs re-plastered.

Mr Teale, 65, said: “It’s not if it’s going to happen again, but when it’s going to happen again.

“If we have days and days of heavy rain, it could happen again. We are trying to crack on.

“It was an horrendous experience. It’s been tough. We are not out of the woods yet.

“It’s been hard work, as we have done it ourselves. It is good to be back.”

Meanwhile, Michelle Chapman, chairman of the Bingley Flood Support Group, said the Teales were the last people to be rehomed. She said the group helped around 200 properties in Bingley and Crossflatts, and the community is now better prepared should a major flood happen again.

Mrs Chapman said: “Everybody seems to be OK now. There is a relief that everything is sorted. Let’s hope that we don’t have to face it again. We have an emergency box in place in Bingley now. It was a freak and we don’t want it to ever come back again.”

Bradford Council faced criticism earlier this year for the way it responded. But in a report by strategic director of place, Steve Hartley, listed the key improvements the Council has made since the 2015 floods.

These include setting up a stock of 6,000 sandbags and around 2,000 other water blocks.

Road drains are now inspected on either a monthly or quarterly basis and flood information packs have been sent out to 6,000 of the most at-risk properties.

Shipley MP Philip Davies praised the community spirit the clean-up produced. He said: “It was clearly horrific. It took quite a lot of people a long time before they could get back in their homes again. It was awful but the one good thing that came out of it was the community spirit.”