An Ashby man's car was effectively written off during flooding while it was being repaired at a Derby car dealership.

Jaguar Land Rover's Inchcape garage in Chequers Road flooded during Storm Babet in October.

The BBC website reports that car owners were told to claim on their own insurance for damage to vehicles.

Inchcape said it was "sorry for the disruption and inconvenience caused by the flooding".

Jaguar Land Rover said it was doing everything it could to support its clients "during this difficult time".

The dealership on Derby's old cattle market remains closed and Jaguar Land Rover said it was working to return the showroom and service centre to normal

But Ashby-based Kevin Caley's five-year-old Jaguar I-PACE electric car was in for a battery replacement under warranty.

He was told by Inchcape his car was up a ramp, clear of the water, but the battery was on the floor when it flooded.

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Mr Caley said: "They said the battery was under water and therefore it wasn't worth repairing the car.

"But from my point of view, the battery was either my old one, which was scrapped, or a new one, which they hadn't fitted, so still part of their stock."

He said he has bought another car and is waiting to hear from his insurance how much he will get for his I-PACE.

A number of car owners have been affected in a similar way.

Mr Caley added: "It's not our fault. It's so frustrating.

"I feel very let down. They should've looked after us and told us: 'It's going to take a few months, but we will sort it out. We'll look after you'. But they've done nothing."

An Inchcape UK spokesperson said: "We are making every effort to help our affected customers to get back on the road as quickly as possible, and due to the complexity of each individual situation, we are supporting all of them on a one-to-one basis.

"A number of supportive actions have been taken to help our customers, including: providing replacement or temporary courtesy cars to help keep customers mobile, setting up a dedicated helpline to support with insurance claims and customer queries, and sourcing new and used replacement cars as quickly as we can at a reduced price.

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"Ninety three per cent of affected customers have accepted this support and we are liaising with the remaining customers to find a solution to get them back on the road."

Patrick McGillycuddy, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: "Our partner, Inchcape, has appointed a specialist team and we urge clients affected by this disruption to contact Sedgwick International UK who will progress their individual case as quickly as possible.

"I would like to thank our clients for their patience whilst we and our partner, Inchcape, work to resolve this situation and return the showroom and service centre in Derby to normal service as quickly as possible."