A REPORT commissioned by Scarborough residents whose homes are at risk of demolition, has suggested landslips could be caused by faulty water pipes.

Knipe Point residents ordered the report from surveyors Ashton Bennett after a number of landslips in the area. The report suggested the problem was likely to have been caused by effluent water underneath the estate, which had probably come from broken Yorkshire Water pipes, and contained materials used by the McCain factory, to the south of the area.

Local resident Kane Cunningham said: “The report paints a very disturbing picture of an estate waiting to slide into the sea. As you can imagine this is a living nightmare for the residents.

“All we want is for McCain’s and Yorkshire Water to meet and to discuss solutions quickly, before we witness bodies being pulled from the slurry of a massive landslip.”

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: “We understand it’s very distressing when houses are affected by land slippage and this report contains some new information which our experts are looking at closely. Once we’ve been able to assess the findings we’ll respond to the residents.”

A spokesman for McCain’s said: “Like everyone else in Scarborough, we are well aware of the longstanding geological issues at Knipe Point.

“As we always take community representations seriously, we have asked geologists and other experts to look at the new document paid for by the residents. We have also noted their call for us to help them achieve constructive dialogue with relevant organisations. We will be responding to this in the next few days.”