WORK to secure one of Huddersfield’s main roads following the discovery of an underground cavern started FOUR months after problems were first reported.

Last week, Kirklees Council engineers were called to Manchester Road near Slaithwaite to examine a dip in the pavement.

Their investigations on Wednesday uncovered a huge hole beneath the road surface, thought to have been caused by the erosion of soil.

The council immediately imposed road restriction, controlled by temporary traffic lights.

Work to install new pipes is expected to start today.

But it has now been revealed a report was made to the council as early as September about road damage at the same spot.

John Fell from Marsden told the Examiner his partner, Helen Cater, had noticed a hole in the surface as she walked to work at Thornton and Ross pharmaceuticals company in Linthwaite.

Mr Fell, 60, said: “There have been problems with flooding there for years and this hole had been there for a while.

“There was a hole in the pavement about the size of the football, but when you looked inside it was quite clear there was a big gap underneath – at least one metre in diameter and one metre deep.

“I called the council on September 15 – I’ve still got the reference number they gave me – to report it and they told me they’d look into it.”

After being called in last week, workmen dug small holes at the side of the road and used torches to assess the extent of the cavern.

Plans dating back to the 1950s were checked to find out what work had taken place underground.

A stream passing beneath the road is thought to have gradually carried soil away, causing the dip in the road surface.

Engineers now face the task of creating a pipe to channel the stream water safely under the road.

Mr Fell added: “It’s just so annoying that they are acting like this has just been discovered.

“After I reported it, they came and put a traffic cone over the hole, which was no good. Then about a month ago they put some barriers up, which kept getting vandalised or moved.

“If engineers had come to have a proper look at the time they would have been able to see it.

“The road could have collapsed at any time and someone could have been badly hurt.”

The council said it was looking into the matter.

A spokeswoman said: “We are studying the records to see what this defect was reported as and what action was taken.”