Flooding in the West Country cost recruiter Omega Resource Group an estimated £10,000 in lost revenue, the company has revealed.

The extreme weather conditions meant that the company's offices in Tewkesbury and Gloucester had to close for eight working days from 20 July because of loss of water supplies and electricity.

The Gloucestershire-based company, which recruits workers for the engineering, industrial and technical sectors, was flooded out of its offices in Tewkesbury and Gloucester, and nine staff had to be temporarily relocated to head office in Stonehouse.

Group director Alan Beresford told Recruiter that his firm was unable to fulfil about 180 planned placements it had with clients, who themselves suffered due to the flooding.

"I'd say we've suffered about a £10,000 loss in revenue, because about a dozen of our clients had to close," he said.

"We've also lost a lot of business opportunities — what might have happened in that week?"

Furthermore, the company's two offices in Cheltenham had electricity but no water, so portable toilets had to be installed outside the offices.

About 25 employees of the firm had no electricity or water supply at their homes, so Omega paid for 50 watercooler bottles so staff could take water home with them.

The Gloucester and Tewkesbury offices were reopened on 31 July, and the two Cheltenham offices are now fully functional.

Beresford estimates that his company has spent between £2,500-£3,000 on water bottles, portable toilets and an electrical generator for the Stonehouse office, in case of loss of power.

"If there's one good thing to come out of it, it's that the South-West Regional Development Agency has asked business to get a collection together to help other businesses, and so far in a week they've raised £350,000," said Beresford, who confirmed that his firm had made a donation.

Another company which was hit by the floods was Cheltenham-based Oriel Support, which provides payroll services to more than 100 recruitment companies nationwide.

The company was forced to relocate to the Landmark Hotel in Swindon, where it used conference facilities as a temporary office after their own office was flooded out on 20 July.

"We have a crisis plan in place so that the business can keep running," company director Su Copley told Recruiter.

"We haven't lost any business, our staff have been great and our agency clients have been very understanding too."

Two of Oriel's 25 staff had to be airlifted from their homes and are currently staying with friends and family. "It will be months before they can even think about returning home," said Copley.