SHOCKED Guy Birchall woke up to find his floors under a foot of water.

Floodwater poured into his house in Waterside Lane, Hythe, Colchester, destroying carpets, furniture and causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

Student, Guy, 21, woke up to find his ground-floor bedroom had flooded.

He and his housemates walked around inside bin bags and left the front door open to let the water escape. He said: “My neighbour banged on my window and woke me up, I stepped into water.

“It was surprising to say the least. I was awake at 3am and it was fine then, and at 8am it was under water.

“I have been trying to pull all the stuff out of my bedroom, but most of my clothes and books are soaked.

“I will probably have to buy new books for university. I really don’t know how much it will cost me.

“I’ve got my third year exams in two weeks. I really don’t need this.”

Neighbours Steven and Yvonne Bridgman found their front room flooded after water poured through their french doors.

The couple’s home has flooded three times in the last two years.

Mr Bridgman, 53, said: “It’s disgusting. It just comes up through the floorboards.

“If it continues we will have to ring the fire brigade to drain the house.

“Our insurance company put our excess for flood damage up to £5,000 after the ground floor was completely covered in water in January 2011.

“We just can’t afford to claim so we hire a dehumidifier and vax machine to soak up the water.

“I’m using sandbags to keep the water at bay.

“I have got my daughter and two grandchildren coming to stay for a holiday on Friday. It’s not good.”