Telford Job Centre is forced to shut by flooding

Jobcentre Plus in Telford House, Southwater Way, Telford, was closed all day yesterday due to flooding on the second floor of the building.

Appointments were cancelled as a result.

According to David Blagg, who works in the business support team for Midland Shires which covers all of the job centres in Shropshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire, payments to clients were being automatically released and appointments were being re-booked.

It was hoped the centre would reopen today.

Mr Blagg said: "It is a local issue where flooding on the second floor has caused water damage and flooding to the lower floors.

"We have contacted our facilities management team Telereal Trillium, and they are on site assessing the damage and putting in a plan of action to get it fixed."

Mr Blagg said payments have been automatically advanced, meaning anyone who was due in yesterday to receive a payment will get their payment as normal.

He said: "We contacted or were contacting everyone who was due in to advise them of the situation, payments will not be affected."

Meanwhile, a water leak from a washing machine led to a team of firefighters being called out to a home ina Shropshire village. A fire crew was called to a house in Longville, near Much Wenlock, at about 6.20pm yesterday after the homeowners were unable to turn off the mains water supply.