Whaley Bridge: Boris Johnson visits 'dodgy but stable' Derbyshire dam as it remains a 'major problem'

Residents are allowed to go back to their homes in Whaley Bridge but it is at "their own risk", police say.

By Andy Hayes, news reporter,

Boris Johnson has visited a damaged Derbyshire dam still at risk of bursting, describing it as "dodgy but stable" and a "substantial risk".
The prime minister met local residents and the emergency services in Whaley Bridge and said the operation to shore the dam up "may go on for a few days".
The water level at Toddbrook Reservoir, which sits above the town, has dropped by half a metre and further high-volume water pumps are being brought in, police said.
But it needs to drop by "several more" metres, the Canal and River Trust said.
The Met Office said thundery conditions may affect the area on Sunday.
An RAF Chinook has been dropping one-tonne sandbags to bolster the damaged reservoir wall.
If the dam collapsed, destruction could be wreaked on "the whole of the village below, on livelihoods, on families, on homes", the PM said.
In a press conference not long before Mr Johnson arrived, police said the risk to life nearby "remains high".

Residents have, however, been told they can briefly go back to their homes.
It will be one person per household, and they will go at "their own risk", said Kem Mehmet, assistant chief constable of Derbyshire Police.
The decision to allow people to collect pets and belongings had been "difficult", he said, and it would happen in a "controlled" fashion.
In the meantime, he urged people to "stay away from Whaley Bridge".
Asked to give his impressions, Boris Johnson said: "It's looking dodgy but stable is how I would describe it.
"The water all needs to come out, there needs to be a proper repair, a rebuild of that dam, and that's obviously what we're going to do," he told reporters.
Speaking separately at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School, he said: "I flew over the dam and it looks pretty scary. I can see the problem."
Residents would "all be properly housed" if the dam burst, he said.
Mr Johnson added to a group of police officers: "Let's hope it doesn't happen."
Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers, who chaired a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee on Friday aftermoon, said the dam had not been stabilised.
Ms Villiers urged people in Whaley Bridge to be "patient" and to continue to listen to advice from the emergency services.
She added that engineers were working "at pace to do everything we can to ensure that we stabilise the situation" but admitted it is "not stabilised as yet".
The reservoir, on the north-west edge of the Peak District National Park, was built in 1831, according to experts, although the Environment Agency records it as being built in 1840-41.
It "has a history of leakage", according to a 2011 Environment Agency report on national dam incidents.
A local resident who ignored calls to evacuate said the atmosphere was "eerie".
Hanna Sillitoe said: "The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining, and then a great big Chinook flies over the house and the stark reality of what's happening upstream hits us again."
Brian Stanway, who has a fireplace and woodburner business in Whaley Bridge, said he had "no time frame whatsoever" about when he would be able to return.
"We just hope that everyone's safe, that's the main thing, and that people have their homes to go back to," he said.
"It's a lovely town with a great local community and local spirit."

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