A NETHER Stowey woman has described how she was left stranded late at night, some 50 miles from home, after her breakdown recovery firm refused to pick her up.

The RAC told Suzanne Downey its policy not to attend members whose cars have broken down after going through floodwater meant it could not come to her aid.

Suzanne, 42, had called out the firm after her Peugeot broke down shortly after she began her journey home from seeing a friend in Combe Martin, north Devon.

Suzanne told the Mercury: “It was about 12.30am and I was on a dark country road and couldn't see anything.

“I went round a corner and went straight into a flood. The car was fine at first but then it started spluttering.

“I phoned up the RAC but because I mentioned that I had been through a flood, they said they would not come out to me.

“I asked them whether they were really going to leave a woman alone at 12.30am. The guy said 'yes', and said I needed to contact my insurance company.

“I was panicked. I was just thinking, 'what do I do?”

The RAC operative put Suzanne through to her insurance company, the AA, and she had to pay fees totalling around £130 to upgrade her policy to relay her home. She arrived back in Nether Stowey at 4am.

Following her ordeal, which happened on June 23, Suzanne says she wrote an official letter of complaint, but despite making follow-up phone calls, she says the matter has still not been resolved.

Suzanne added that when her car was later fixed, it emerged the floodwater may simply have exacerbated an existing problem with her car, rather than causing the breakdown.

An RAC spokesman said: “We are investigating this complaint as a matter of urgency and will respond directly to Mrs Downey.

“RAC is committed to finding a solution for any member in the event of a breakdown.

“In the circumstances of flood damage, which is excluded from our breakdown policy, we would endeavour to offer our members assistance, even if this may carry an additional cost, therefore we are surprised that Mrs Downey was not offered this option at the time.”