A FORMER entertainer whose house has been flooded 21 times since 1991 has lifted the lid on what it is like to have 'lived a nightmare'.

Brian Groves' life beyond his home in Flint is one of determination and overcoming adversity.

The 62-year-old first moved to north Wales from Middlesex in then 1980's when he was working as a Redcoat with Butlins.

He then went on to enjoy a 28-year career as an entertainer in clubs and holiday camps.

In 2015, he achieved something of a miracle when - after having suffered a stroke and a heart attack and losing a big portion of his memory - he graduated with a degree in animal studies from Glyndwr University.

But it is in his own home that Mr Groves, a former Territorial Army soldier, has arguably faced some of his biggest challenges over the last two decades.

That is because he has suffered continous flooding and other issues there since becoming the leaseholder of the house, based on Maes Glas, in 1991.

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Mr Groves, who also now suffers with heart problems, says the 'nightmare' journey all began around five months or so after he bought the house.

He says that, the property above his which is council-owned, suffered a broken washing machine, which led to water gushing out and caused the ceiling in Mr Groves' kitchen to 'drop'.

As a result, the kitchen had to be taken apart and put back together again - something that Mr Groves says he did on his own at the time.

He adds that a number of incidents since have left the house 'decimated'.

Mr Groves' old entertainment equipment - from guitars and amplifiers to leads and microphones - have been left covered in damp and mold, as well as countless walls, corners, cupboards and more around the house.

The worst incident of all however came back in 2004 came as a result of contractors replacing a burst pipe in the ground in Mr Groves' back garden - on behalf of Flintshire Council (picture below).

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It wasn't until many years later - in 2019 - did he discover that one of the pipes had not been sealed properly during those works and his house was flooded as a result.

Speaking to the Leader, Mr Groves said: "I can remember that one vividly, as I woke up to the dog standing there in three inches of water which was coming up through the toilet cistern.

"The next council contractor who came back to fix the problem said that some of the foundations had been washed away by the thousands of gallons of water passing under my house over the years.

"In total, my house has been flooded 21 times since 1991. I'm just sick of the council constantly passing the buck.

"I've completely lost the will over the years. I'd get round to doing some work to make the house look better and then something else would happen. It's been like living in a nightmare."

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Mr Groves added: "I know a lot of these floods were accidents. 19 floods have been from the flat above and two from contractors when they've come.

"I really have been through the mill with all of this and my health has been made worse by the stress.

"The worst mistake I ever made in my life was buying this house, it's just somewhere I sleep now. I put it up for sale three years ago but, of course, nobody would buy it."

Mr Groves says that the most recent example of water leaking into his home came when water trickled down from the upstairs property into a light fitting.

He adds that he is 'too afraid' to go near some of his old entertainment equipment - for example switching on one of his amplifiers - in case they 'blow up' due to the damp.

In response to Mr Groves' story, a spokesperson for Flintshire County Council said: "We are in the process of addressing the concerns that have been raised by our Leaseholder, Mr Groves and have already completed the majority of works requested to date.

"We are now waiting for him to engage with us regarding the decoration works and to discuss his lease arrangement in further detail."