A FAMILY who have lived with seven months of disruption because of gas repair works, including having their drive dug up, say they are at the end of their tether.

Work in Wilkinson Avenue in Little Lever, started in January, when contractors Balfour Beatty - on behalf of National Grid - carried out repairs to gas pipes.

But it was not long before residents Sharon and Roy Winnard had reason to complain about the project.

They returned from a holiday in India in February to find their drive had been dug up in two places, blocking in their two cars.

Then in the following months after the holes had been filled in, the couple were puzzled to find their drive flooded with water whenever they had a shower or used the washing machine.

It was only last month when contractors realised the problem had been caused during the gas repair work, when a water waste pipe had been cracked, allowing the water to escape.

The problem has now been resolved after one hole was dug up again, but Mrs Winnard says she is still waiting for it to be filled in by the contractors.

This hole, about one metre wide and one metre deep, still prevents the family accessing their garage, which will create further problems as a trailer they plan to use during a forthcoming camping holiday is stored there.

Mrs Winnard, aged 58, said that the block paving which has been restored has not been done correctly in places.

She added that the whole project has been frustrating, and that she has been forced to call helplines dozens of times over the past few months.

She said: "I didn't ask for anyone to come and do this work. All I am asking for is that they put everything back the way it was."

The couple have already been awarded compensation from contractors because of the inconvenience they have faced.

This included their daughter having to take time off work to stay in the house in the daytime to allow contractors access while they were on holiday, and workers did not arrive when they promised to.

But Mrs Winnard continues to demand that the drive is restored to how it was.

A spokesman for the National Grid said: “We are very sorry for any inconvenience. When the gas main repairs were carried out a pipe was damaged and at the time the problem was not spotted. The work was due to be completed yesterday.”