Exasperated householders met with local water bosses on Tuesday after their properties were flooded three times in the last two weeks.

They say the problem has been going on for nearly three years with flash floods from torrential rain affecting houses at the lower end of South Port because drains can’t cope with the surface water.

Home owner Malcolm Redpath said: “We’re talking about eight to 10 inches. Every time it rains I have to be there to sandbag my drive. It will be two feet deep sometimes at my neighbour’s door and he has to put up flood boards.”

Mr Redpath’s garden shed has been flooded five times and he has decided to move it to higher ground.

“I’m quite concerned about the problem – this has been going on for two to three years now – and it hasn’t got any better, it’s actually getting worse.

“When I am at work through the day and there is heavy rain, I start to wonder what I am going to go home to.

“Even at night, if it’s heavy rain, I can’t sleep sometimes, wondering if it’s going to continue.”

Two neighbouring houses have been flooded because of the excess surface water, but Mr Redpath has so far managed to block off the water to his own, though his garden, shed and ground have been awash.

“The only reason my house is not flooding is because I’ve so far managed to put sandbags across to stop the water getting in.”

The water could be three inches up the door of his neighbour’s house on lower ground.

“I have been wading up to my knees to put sandbags down for him,” said Mr Redpath.

There had been at least seven flooding incidents at the affected properties over the last year, he said.

Scottish Water’s regional communities manager, Bill Elliot, said Scottish Water would be working with Scottish Borders Council to sort the problem, caused by a surface water sewer at South Port.

“Scottish Water is already undertaking modelling work to establish a solution. We have escalated the issue to establish the necessary funding to carry out the project as quickly as possible,” he said.

He added that Scottish Water will also be liasing closely with residents: “We are taking every action to alleviate the matter.”