NEARLY six months after flood prevention work started on a York street, residents have vented their frustration at constant disruption outside their homes.

Yorkshire Water moved into Portland Street, off Gillygate, in October last year to start installing massive underground pipes and tanks to hold storm water and stop homes being flooded.

But one resident has made his frustration at the disruption clear by making alterations to a sign on the site.

The Yorkshire Water board used to read “We won’t be here for long, but the benefits will” until an anonymous passer-by re-wrote it as, “We won’t be here forever, it just feels like we will.”

Chef John Griffiths, who has lived on Portland Street for nearly 30 years, spotted the altered sign as he walked home from work on Sunday evening.

He said: “The work started in early October, and the original letters from Yorkshire Water said it would be over by Valentine’s Day but now it’s looking like late March or Easter.”

Although the residents are pleased their homes will be protected from flooding they are struggling with no parking outside their homes.

John, 60, added: “For me the worst thing is when you come home with heavy shopping and can’t even park outside for a minute to unload the car.”

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said the work had taken longer because the tunnelling had been held up by difficult ground conditions, and because the number of cables and pipes under the road meant they had to do a lot of excavation by hand.

They thanked residents of Portland Street for their “continued patience”

whilst work was carried out to reduce the risk of sewer flooding in the area, adding: “We had planned to make up some of the time by working on weekends.

But when we discussed this plan with residents, they told us they would prefer us to continue to only work on weekdays, as weekend working would be more disruptive for them.”