GAS company Transco and Railtrack have been criticised for holding up work on flood defences in a part of the region which has suffered more than any other.

Residents of Norton, in North Yorkshire, have been sent letters this week explaining why work is yet to be completed on the Mill Beck pumping station.

The town, along with neighbouring Malton, was devastated by record-breaking floods twice in three years, with dozens of residents forced out of their homes for months.

Work on the protection scheme started at the beginning of July, but had to be delayed because investigations revealed that one of the gas mains was not as shown on records and would have to be diverted to allow the rest of the pumping works to be carried out.

The work also identified that the mains under the railway track were built over by steps to the signal box and that the excavations were too close to the box.

Negotiations between Transco - responsible for the gas pipes - and Railtrack have been ongoing for weeks.

Railtrack officials insisted work could not be carried out until they had received a method statement from the gas company, as part of health and safety requirements.

Hopes were raised that further work on the scheme would have started last month, but Transco has yet to begin its part.

Councillor Elizabeth Shields, of Ryedale District Council, said yesterday: "I would like to make it quite clear that Ryedale District Council has been doing its utmost to ensure that the work began as soon as possible.

"Transco's work was ordered by Ryedale District Council in January but, as of today, Transco has still not completed either the mains diversion or the work to the mains under the railway."

Transco said it was preparing to dig down to its gas main but a timescale could not be put on completing the scheme.

Coun Shields said she was hopeful of the work being completed by the early autumn.