Practical help to protect North Walsham residents from the misery of flooded homes is taking too long to happen, according to an angry community leader.

Eric Seward, a county councillor for the town, said: 'The county council is fiddling while North Walsham floods.'

He voiced his frustrations after water poured into a number of homes in the Lynfield Road area following torrential rain on Thursday night last week.

Among those affected were pensioners Trevor and Mary Cable, of Corbett Road, whose entire ground floor was under water. 'It was like a river. We had a board outside the front door but it found a way in and came up under the concrete floor, and through the back door,' said Mrs Cable, 75.

Mr Cable, 76, said their road had flooded four times in the past 19 years but last week was the first time water had come into their home.

Mr Seward said that after the 2007 incident, investigations had revealed that a culvert in Lyngate Road was not wide enough to cope. 'We couldn't get anybody to take responsibility for re-laying a wider culvert,' he said.

In 2013 the county council had become the responsible authority for identifying areas at risk of flooding. Roads including Corbett Road, Osborne Close and Harbord Close had been put on the list. Consultant engineers had been appointed last summer and were using computer modelling to work out possible solutions.

Mr Seward said he had expected their report in the spring but had been told it was not ready.

'I am just frustrated and angry. This process is taking much too long,' he said. 'People have had their properties damaged while we're waiting for answers. Residents want action.'

Mark Ogden, programme co-ordinator with the county council, said: 'An existing scheme is being developed which will seek to reduce surface water flood risk in this area. Funding for future capital mitigation works is not guaranteed and additional sources of funding will need to be secured for the scheme to be implemented.'

Mr Ogden urged residents affected by flooding to send information and pictures to water.management@norfolk.gov.uk to help with the county's investigations.