A GROUP of residents embroiled in a court battle over who is responsible for repairing the pothole-ridden road in front of their homes will have to wait a further two weeks before the wrangle is decided.

Some neighbours from Higher Croft Road, Lower Darwen, are happy to take responsibility for repairs to the road. But a smaller group want Blackburn with Darwen Council to pay for resurfacing work.

And this week these residents took their case to Preston Crown Court in a bid to prove the council was responsible for the road.

But the amount of evidence put forward led to the planned two-day hearing being suspended yesterday evening and the remainder of the case will not be heard until November 22.

Around seven people from Higher Croft Road faced Blackburn with Darwen Council in court earlier this year after a dispute over who was responsible for the road, which is in desperate need of resurfacing.

After a two-day hearing, District Judge Paul Firth ruled the road was private and the responsibility of the residents, but they were determined not to give up without a fight.

Instead, residents appealed against the decision despite some of their neighbours urging them to drop the case and let the work go ahead.

At Preston Crown Court, witnesses were called to give evidence as to the state of the road and its history.

Barristers for both the council and the appellants argued over whether the road had previously had work done on it by the local authority and whether this led to it being adopted.

But the barrister for the appellants did not have enough time to complete his summing up and the court had to be suspended. until further notice.

Resident Andrew Greenwood, who has no objection to paying for the resurfacing work himself, attended the hearing and said: "We are just looking forward to a conclusion to it all now."