Hundreds of students staying in a Leeds Beckett University accommodation have been evacuated due to flooding.

This is the second time there has been a flooding at The Plaza accommodation, after a flood in October 2016 saw equal amount of damage caused.

The flood, which occurred last Sunday, was caused by a faulty pressure valve, leading to the water leak.

Many students feared for their safety as water poured out of the ceiling and surged out of the lifts.

“Our flats were slowly flooding and being ruined and there was nothing we could do to save our things” said Marisa Hyland, speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“We were kept in the building for about an hour-and-a-half because no staff were there and maintenance men didn’t tell us what to do. I didn’t feel safe at all”.

This isn’t the first time The Plaza has flooded. The accommodation was also waterlogged in October 2016.

Speaking to The Gryphon, Emily Crowther, whose flat was flooded in October, stated “Luckily we didn’t get flooded this time but last time my room was flooded and the carpet had to be replaced”.

Hyland and the other students were all put in hotels, which she claims has put her “out of pocket”.

Crowther said “Being put in hotels was annoying as we kept being moved about and had to wait all day to find out where we were sleeping that night”.

The recent flooding has angered parents, with Hyland’s father speaking out against Unite, the company which own the flats.

“As parents we need to know our children are safe. This is the second time this has happened and its not good enough”.

A spokesman for Unite has apologised for the inconvenience caused and has promised Unite “was confident the issue had been rectified” and revealed they had “set up system to ensure that no student is left out-of-pocket or with cash-flow issues as a consequence of the incident”.

 

William Marriott