By SARAH HARKER

AN angered Woolston resident may have to pay for damage to a main road sewage drain, due to a little-known fact which holds landowners responsible for pipe work to the main sewer.

Colin Meachin, of Longbarn Lane, is outraged that damage to a drain on the main road outside his semi-detached home may cost him thousands of pounds to repair.

Council officials told him that since the source of the problem was with the drain leading from his property, all maintenance and repair work would be his responsibility.

But workers on the drain have told Colin that they suspect the problems may have been caused by root damage from trees on the other side of the road, or heavy traffic, since the road is used regularly by HGVs and is a main bus route.

Colin said: "The drain is not on my property, but my family are being affected by the fault. It's outrageous that I have to pay for the damage, I couldn't believe it when I was told.

"Anyone would assume that a fault with a drain in the middle of a main road would be dealt with by the council, but because of this stupid law, I have to pay."

Problems with the drain started when raw sewage emerged from beneath the family's paved rear garden.

Colin called out a firm to repair the drain, but almost one week later the family are still struggling without the use of a toilet or bathroom facilities.

Gordon Curd, the borough council's principal assistant engineer of operations, said: "The building owner is responsible for private drainage right up to the connection with the public sewer, even though it may be within the public highway.

"This is a little-known fact. People suppose that once it's off their boundary it's not their responsibility.

"The drain is under a main bus route and the construction of the pipe work would have to be constructed to withstand the heavy traffic, but the owner of the property still has a responsibility to maintain the drain and pipe work."