A CIVIL engineer caught up in a red-tape wrangle over a sewer pipe has been left flushed with anger.

David Brindle, 37, has waged a long-running campaign to persuade water or council chiefs to replace the sewer which keeps flooding his garden.

The faulty pipe, which passes under his back garden, has left his drive and garage immersed in surface water dozens of times during the past two years.

He claims the sewer, which serves 20 houses and acts as a highway drain for Smithy Close, Brindle, was shown on the public sewer records which meant North West Water had an "obligation" to replace it.

But the privatised company, which rakes in profits of hundreds of millions of pounds a year, has agreed to pay for half the £15,000 repairs.

It wants Chorley Council to pay for the other half, but the local authority has refused. Mr Brindle said: "For some years my property has been blighted by this issue and I am now caught up in pure red tape.

"North West Water is responsible for public sewers and should honour its obligation.

"After all we are talking about a £15,000 outlay for a company with a half yearly profit of £208 million.

"I simply want the sewer replacing to prevent any further flooding and damage to my property."

A North West Water spokesman said: "We have offered to pay a substantial amount for repairs. But there is a legal question mark over who is responsible for the pipes and we are hoping to resolve the situation shortly."

Chorley Borough Council solicitor Robert Townson said: "We have great sympathy with the residents and have been doing our best to help them.

"If North West Water does not concede that the sewer is its responsibility the council has statutory powers to require the work to be done and will use them."

Those "powers' could include serving notices on householders to make a contribution to the replacement of the sewer.

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