TALKS are continuing between hospital chiefs and United Utilities to try and sort out a drainage problem that led to Whiston's accident and emergency department flooding again last week during torrential downpours.

Flash floods led to water flowing into the corridors of A & E and 40 patients had to be evacuated, with subsequent efforts to pump water away and clean the wards resulting in the department being closed for 12 hours.

Hospital chiefs say faulty drains at Stoney Lane caused water and sewage to come streaming off the roads and into the department.

The problem mirrored a similar situation to two years ago when downpours led to A & E flooding.

A spokeswoman for St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals Trust said: "We have been in ongoing discussions (with United Utilities) since the flooding happened two years and we are now going through an investigation and hope to find a permanent resolution."

United Utilities, though, refused to admit that the floods were caused because the drains could not cope with the rainfall. Their spokesperson said: "Heavy rain meant there was so much surface water on the road it could not flow down drains fast enough and therefore flowed towards the lowest point which in this case was the doors of Whiston Hospital.

"We are continuing to discuss with the hospital quite how the sewers flow in the area and see if there is anything we can do to assist them."