A Norwich landlord has sought help from a local MP after one of his tenants suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage in last week's floods.

Bob Clarke, who owns a property on Aylsham Road, said a nearby blocked drain had resulted in the building's basement being flooded by water.

The 68-year-old claimed he had repeatedly raised the issue with Norwich City Council, but nothing had been done to clear it.

Yesterday he was visited by Norwich North MP Chloe Smith, who has promised to take up the issue with the local authority.

Mr Clarke said: 'I contacted her because I was just so fed up. It is hugely embarrassing for me to have a tenant who is having so much grief.

'It is ridiculous and so preventable. All it takes is for the council to send someone along and suck out the mud.'

He has now had to build a three-metre long brick wall near one of the entrances to the property, which is used by the photography company Memories 2 Treasure.

Company owner Andrew Saxton, 51, said the blocked drain and bad weather last month had resulted in the building flooding twice, damaging various pieces of equipment in the basement.

Ms Smith said she would be taking up the matter with the city council, adding: 'I don't think it is acceptable that a gully is in that state and causing that much damage to a business.'

She also stressed that she would be speaking to Norfolk County Council to scrutinise its plans to resolve the issue in north Norwich.

A city council spokesman said: 'We're aware of something we call 'ponding' of water in this area of the city which we've got in hand.

'To date we haven't been made aware of flooding in this particular location but it's very easy for people to tell us about it by filling in the 'street issues' form on our website.'