AN independent furniture shop owner said flooding has forced her out of Oxford’s Abingdon Road.

Oxford Furniture Warehouse boss Chris Green said flooding had cost her thousands of pounds and she would be closing the shop on Sunday, April 7.

She will then open new premises in London Road, Headington, the next day.

In November, Abingdon Road was one of the worst-hit areas for flooding in Oxford, with water washing out homes and businesses and closing the road to traffic for three days.

Ms Green, from Kennington, said the two storage buildings at the back of her shop were flooded in November and then again when the waters returned in December, and estimated she lost about £6,000 in missed trade.

She said: “Because of the flooding and everything, we have had enough.

“We have two out-buildings where we keep the second-hand furniture – they had floodwater 18 inches deep.

“The Abingdon Road got shut off. We lost a week’s trade.”

Ms Green said insurers refused to cover the damage because her business was in a flood risk area.

She said: “In 2007 we lost quite a lot of stock. This time we lost a bit but we were informed of the floods by an automated phone call from the Environment Agency so we could pile up the stock and get some out.”

Ms Green said it was also a lack of passing trade on the road that prompted the move and added: “It is the end of an era.

“It is very sad to go but I have no choice really.”

Chris Snell, 25, assistant manager at National Tyres and Autocare in Abingdon Road, estimated that the business lost £15,000 during the November flooding.

He said: “It is a nightmare really.

“We couldn’t open for the whole week.

“We always keep an eye on it when it starts raining. There is nothing I can really do.”

He said there were no plans for the firm to move.

The new Oxford Furniture Warehouse shop, which will sell new and second-hand furniture as well as fancy dress clothing, will be situated next to Lloyds TSB in London Road.

In March, the Oxford Mail reported a £1m scheme to ease flooding in West and South Oxford, including on Abingdon Road, was set to go ahead.

The project will involve a new 900-metre surface water sewer and clearing a drainage pond at Munday’s Bridge. Network Rail has been given the responsibility of maintaining the flood walls when they are finished.