A COMMUNITY garden and learning centre has been forced to close after being flooded with contaminated sewer water.

The Leatherhead facility in Woodbridge Grove, was set up in September last year to encourage residents in north Leatherhead, which is classed as a socially deprived area, to grow organic food.

But following flooding this month, the project manager Simon Woodhams, who lives in Cleeve Road, says he has had to put the project on hold "indefinitely" until problems with the drainage are resolved. The learning centre set up in a former scout hut next to the garden is also closed.

Mr Woodhams said: "A lot of committed volunteers have worked tirelessly every weekend for 12 months to build the garden, and we were all devastated by the flooding.

"We are keen for the problem to be rectified as the flooding is disheartening for the volunteers."

The flooding problem lies with a drainage system running under the garden. It had previously been flooded in February.

It is suspected the sewage water comes from faulty drains.

Dave Howarth, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Leatherhead North, was one of the volunteers who helped build composters and flower beds, as well as clearing and growing vegetables on the site.

He said: "At the end of the day it is extremely sad. A lot of people put a huge amount of effort into it, creating not just a community garden but also a learning centre, which was going to be really good.

"It is sewage, which means that the rose beds are now contaminated."

But the sewage leak did not affect only the garden. Residents living nearby have also said their homes have persistent problems with being flooded by sewer water.

Mary Paget, 68, of Woodbridge Grove, said: "It's very disappointing for them, especially after all the hard work they put in.

"They were told it wasn't going to happen again. It's a nightmare.

"You can smell it in the air. The foul smell hangs around a couple of days or even a week, especially if the sun comes out afterwards."

Fellow neighbour Malcolm Mihalop, 66, added: "It's terrible. If you have never been flooded, it's not something I'd wish on anyone, especially when it's sewage, it's all dark and the smell is horrible."

The drains are the responsibility of Thames Water. The company is currently conducting an investigation into the flooding.