Whaley Bridge: Hundreds of people allowed to return home after evacuation over dam collapse fears

'Significant' work still needed to ensure long-term safety, police say

Hundreds of Whaley Bridge residents have been told it is safe to return to their homes after they were evacuated over fears of a potential dam collapse.

More than 1,500 people were forced to leave their properties in the Derbyshire town last week following heavy rain which damaged the Toddbrook Reservoir dam.

Derbyshire Police said stability of the dam wall had been achieved on Wednesday afternoon.

A small number of residents had refused to leave their properties earlier this week, causing police to accuse them of endangering the lives of emergency staff in the area.

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann said that the danger posed by the dam "which would have destroyed homes and livelihoods could not be underestimated".

She added that further work would be needed to determine the damage to the dam wall and the future of the structure, noting that it was still broken.

"At the forefront of our thoughts are the communities affected by this incident who have been steadfast in the face of the peril that lay behind that dam wall,” Ms Swann said.

She added: "The Environment Agency has confirmed that the measures remaining in place at the dam will be able to manage the levels of rain forecasted, modelling against a number of scenarios.”

The Environment Agency said there is still “significant” work to be done to ensure the long-term safety of the dam.

"The Toddbrook dam requires significant engineering works to bring it to a condition where its long-term safety can be assured,” said spokesman Bill Derbyshire. “The Environment Agency expect the Canal and River Trust to do the necessary investigations and engineering work to make the dam safe and protect the community.”

Nigel Eastwood, a resident in Whaley Bridge, described his emotions during the evacuation period.

"We had some tense days. I think everybody knows that on Thursday and Saturday there were tense moments,” he said. "I think Monday was the day that we woke up and there was no overnight rain, a lot of water had come out the reservoir and there was a great sense of relief. Yesterday, there was an even greater sense of relief and today it's just fantastic.”

He added: "They saved the village, that's what happened. They saved it."

Julian Thompson, the owner of a local hairdressers, agreed that it was a huge relief to be able to return to the town.

"It's been very very difficult. I'm relieved it's only gone on for a week because I was thinking, if it goes on for another week or so, what am I going to do?” he said. "I have staff and I have to pay their wages. A week, I could just about do it - any longer than that and I'm starting to panic. But now, I feel like I've got my life back."

Agencies contributed to this report