WHAT caused our basements to be swamped with raw human waste? That is the question Walthamstow residents are asking Thames Water.

The flood swept under homes in Hibbert Road, Walthamstow, on August 26 but Thames Water has so far been at a loss to explain why.

The sewage was pumped out last week.

But no sanitation work has yet been carried out because the basements then filled with water, which has tested positive for ammonia.

Susan Murray, who had 3,500 gallons of sewage pumped out from underneath her flat, told the Guardian: "I have enough shit in my life without having to worry about this.

"The smell was permeating my flat. I came home and I just assumed I had hundreds of dead rats under the floor. You could smell it before you put the key in the door.

"Thames Water should have offered us hotels."

Neighbour Katie Jenkinson said: "My house absolutely reeked. It smelled like dead, rotting flesh."

Since the flood, Thames Water staff have visited Ms Murray's home among others in Hibbert Road.

The original flood is believed to have been caused by an unusally heavy downpour which could have overloaded the system.

Although one sewer was found to be blocked, where the ammonia-polluted water is coming from is still a mystery.

Ms Jenkinson said: "We know it has a percentage of waste, but do not know what the health issues are.

"What alarms you is, does it have raw sewage in, will it affect me and how can we stop it happening again? No-one can tell me."

A Thames Water spokesman said: "It is a shocking thing to happen and we are very sorry it has happened. We are still trying to resolve what is causing the flooding.

"It could be a number of causes, such as damaged sewers, a burst water main or it could be ground water. Further investigations are needed and we are still in the process of doing that."

He said the initial blockage was likely to have been caused by either fats, oils and greases, or items such as nappies or sanitary towels.

He emphasised that health risks are minimal as long as residents avoided direct contact with the water.