A POLLUTION disaster could be on its way unless exposed sewer pipes are strengthened, it has been claimed.

The warning comes after pipes crossing the River Holme in the centre of Holmfirth became fully exposed above the river.

The pipes were originally buried well below the river bed but years of erosion has seen them slowly become visible well above the water level.

There are now fears that the exposed pipes could be vulnerable to a falling tree or damage from flooding.

Arthur Quarmby, chief constable of the Graveship of Holme, who alerted the Express & Chronicle to the danger, said if the pipes were broken there would be disastrous consequences for the river with gallons of raw sewage flooding through the picturesque tourist village.

Mr Quarmby said the problem began when Italian prisoners of war were tasked with removing a weir at the confluence of the River Holme and River Ribble in 1944.

The move, following the aftermath of the Whit Monday flood, increased water flow rates, speeding up the erosion of the river and reducing levels of silt deposited on the river bed in Holmfirth.

Now 66-years-on, Mr Quarmby, whose ancient title makes him notionally responsible for the region, said it was time for action.

He said: “Ideally I would like to see the weir put back and used to generate hydro-electricity, but I suppose the pipes could be encased in a wall of concrete which would in itself create a small weir.”

Mr Quarmby said he thought burying the sewers further underground was not an option as they would be too low to serve premises on nearby Hollowgate.

A Yorkshire Water spokeswoman said they had been unable to establish if the pipes were theirs and would be launching an investigation.

She said: “We take our environmental responsibilities seriously and will be sending out a technician to investigate the pipes across this section of the River Holme.

“Our records show that there is a public sewer in the area, but the pipes could also be private and owned by other individuals, which we will know once we have visited the location.

“We carry out a regular programme of pipe inspections across the region to check that they are operating as they should be and are suitably protected and positioned for their surrounding environments.

“Once we have determined whether the pipes in question are public sewers that are still in use we will assess their suitability to the location.”