And now 21-year-old Zola Brunyee faces an uncertain future after hearing that her landlord - the East Riding of Yorkshire Council - will not replace items damaged after the downpour.

Zola lives with baby Ella in rented accommodation on Seavy Road, where she has been for two years.

Grandmother Hayley Brunyee explained that the toddler was asleep in her bedroom when the pipe to the water tank burst in the loft and water poured into the room.

"Thankfully it was cold water," said Hayley who remembered ten-month-old Rhianna Hardie from Taunton who died when scalding water poured in her cot from a burst pipe in the loft last November.

"She rang the council at 7.30am and said she had a leak and the water was pouring down and that it was an emergency. They told her to ring back after 8am.

"She rang me in tears because she's 20 weeks pregnant and it had ruined everything in the bedroom. She really was in distress.

"It's ruined the wallpaper, the ceiling and all the baby's clothes and toys.

Hayley added: "My daughter said to them 'that could have killed my baby' and the council's response was 'was it hot or cold water?'

"They've refused to pay for any damages and she doesn't have any insurance, she pays her council tax and rent and I think that should have covered her."

She added that Zola now faces the cost of replacing the items she had saved to hand down to her second baby.

Hayley said she had asked what ERYC's procedure was for checking these water tanks and was told there isn't one.

An ERYC spokesman told the Courier: "The repair was reported to the depot at Goole at 8am on Wednesday morning.

"A plumber attended within the hour and repaired the cold water supply pipe to the cold water tank which was corroded.

"There was no other damage to structure only decoration and personal belongings for which the tenant should have her own insurance.

"Tenants are advised of this and we have publicised the need for insurance in tenants' newsletters etc."

She added: "We do not carry out planned inspections of properties nor are we required to do so.

"We do, however, conduct full inspections including roof spaces on void properties.

"This type of repair would not be easily identified and we reacted as soon as we became aware of a problem.

"Should the tenant not have her own insurance and she believes we are in any way negligent, she can put a claim in writing to us and we will refer it on to our insurance section."