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Residents who have been pushing back torrents of water with brooms say they fear they will wake up one morning to find their homes flooded unless action is taken to deal with the problem.

Dean Rosewell and his neighbours at Elmdon Place Haverhill, say they have been trying to get something done about the problem for the past two years, but no-one will take responsibility.

In front of their homes is a public footpath, with two large trees on a sloping piece of concrete opposite. Leaves from the trees, rubbish and weeds block the gully at the bottom and every time there is heavy rain, the path becomes flooded.

Mr Rosewell said the water had often come up to the top of their front door step and they felt the only answer was to cut down the trees or to improve the drainage.

"I don't know how many times we have been out there with brooms trying to keep the water out of the house. It has not got in yet, but it is only a matter of time. Every time there is heavy rain the water cascades down there like a waterfall. I have spoken to Anglian Water and both councils, but they just all pass the buck. I am told the footpath is St.Edmundsbury's responsibility, but the concrete and the trees belong to Havebury.

On Saturday we rung the council emergency number and they sent out Anglian Water from Kings Lynn, who said they could not do anything as it was not their drain. We want the trees taken down, but the council won't do it because they say they are worth £5,000. It has been going on for too long, I waited all day yesterday and no-one came.

The smell out there is terrible and I am sure it is a health hazard. My five-year-old son Connor is epileptic and asthmatic and he cannot play out there at all. We are frightened to go to sleep in case we wake up to find the water has got in." Mr Rosewell said.

Mary Gibbons, Haverhill housing officer for Haverhill, said although Havebury had sent staff to carry out a drain survey on Tuesday morning, records showed that the concrete area with the trees on was actually the responsibility of suffolk County council's Highway Department. The finding of the survey would be passed on to the county council.