RESIDENTS in a Moray community have blamed an unlikely group of culprits for the “worst floods they have ever seen” – a herd of pigs on a nearby farm.
The coastal village of Hopeman has been hit by three major incidents in the last eight weeks, the most recent on Tuesday, October 7.
Locals formed a flood action group in August and held talks with Sepa, the Scottish Flood Forum and Moray Council this week so they could gather information and begin a response plan.
During the meeting, several neighbours claimed pigs on Mayne Farm, which overlooks the village, were the direct cause of the problem.
The objectors said the animals burrowed deep holes, which overflow with dirty water during heavy rainfall, resulting in huge volumes of dirty water rushing off the hillside into inadequate street drains.
Heldon and Laich councillor John Cowe called for urgent action to tackle the issue, while Hopeman community association chairman Dennis Slater said the fields and the farmer had to be held accountable.
However, last night the owner of the pigs, Dean Anderson, insisted his animals were not to blame.
“It was the sheer volume of the water that came down in one day that caused the damage,” he told the Press and Journal.
“It’s terribly unfortunate that it happened, but it wasn’t the pigs, it came from the field next to them.”
Audrey Main, of 2 East Road, Hopeman, was one of the worst affected residents in the last round of flooding, as several feet of School Road crumbled to rubble and destroyed half her garden.
She said: “Those were the worst floods we have ever seen. We feel like we’re fighting a losing battle.
“We’re not anti-pig, we’ll still eat our bacon rolls, but they are obviously causing the problem with all the muddy water coming off the fields clogging the drains. They need to be on flat land away from here.”
Walter Deans, 55, whose Inverugie Road home borders the fields, said last week’s flooding was the 10th incident this year and the animals were not helping matters.
He said: “When the pigs have been in there, the ground gets compacted and the water just runs right off down the street flooding garages and ruining gardens.”
Mr Slater said he was hopeful that all parties would be able to reach an agreement to prevent further damage in future.
“The best way for us to solve this problem is together – as a community and as a partnership with the local authorities,” he said.
“We are very hopeful of finding a long-term solution to this problem that will safeguard our village from future disaster.
“We will solve the problem at source, which is the fields and the farmer.”
Councillor Cowe added: “The spirit of Hopeman will always find an answer.
“It needs to be resolved at source, and the source is the fields at the back. It has not been cultivated properly. The water runs down there like a sheet of glass, then it goes right down through the town to the harbour.”
Carl Coghill, a Moray Council technician, said action would be taken.
“We will work with local community members to put together a business case to find a long-term solution, so that Hopeman is able to deal with any type of farming activity,” he added.