Council workmen have visited the mystery “lake” that has sprung up at Lindley Moor.

But their stay was brief, according to eccentric and local resident Jake Mangel-Wurzel.

Jake has been keeping a close eye on the extent of the flooding at the Kirklees Council-owned Heatherleigh recreation ground next to his home at Peat Ponds, Salendine Nook.

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Jake, who has previously taken to a boat to highlight the flooding at the playing fields off Lindley Moor Road, said two council workmen with a mini-digger arrived on Monday morning to examine the situation, but were only there briefly before leaving again.

Jake said following an earlier incident of flooding, workmen had dug a trench to channel rainwater from the playing fields into a large manhole. But he said the 25-yard long trench was later backfilled, leaving the rainwater with nowhere to go.

He said workmen examined the manhole during their visit but thought there would not be enough capacity to channel the floodwater away this time.

“For some reason, it doesn’t look big enough to receive all the water that has formed the lake,” he said.

Jake branded the situation “scandalous” and suggested developer Harron Homes, which is building houses on land nearby, should have been drafted in with one of their excavators to dig a bigger drainage channel.

Many locals have argued that flooding has become more of a problem since building work began nearby.

A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “The council are aware of the water run-off onto the playing fields and are working with the developers of the adjacent site to identify the cause of the problem and solutions for resolving it.”